live.laugh.love--the journey

Senior Year Wrap-up

2011-04-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I figured I needed to update since it's been WAY too long. I feel badly about it but mostly it just illustrates how eventful, crazy, busy and ever changing things have been around here. I'll give a list of the highlights and then go from there. Oh side note: HAPPY EASTER!!! ♥

It is my 22nd birthday tomorrow. 22. I remember posting about my 19th birthday... Megan flew down and liz met up with us and the 3 of us and hilary went to Disneyland for 3 days. That was 3 years ago.
To ring in my 22ND.... the girls (actually my PLEDGE CLASS) and I are hitting VEGAS. We leave at noon today, staying at the Monte Carlo (Jackie's dad got us a great deal) 7 girls, 2 nights, a 400 ft long lazy river and 85 degree weather.... can you say heaven?
My English Writing undergraduate degree officially completed, 4 years and how ever many credits later. I had my senior reading last week and turned in my 103+ page portfolio and feel AMAZING! I am taking Real World 101 (senior class that is supposed to prep us for what's out there) for mayterm but it is an elective. I could walk tomorrow if need be...
I crashed my car. Crashed is a vague term... totaled is more descriptive. I totaled my sentimental-had-since-I-was-16-cute-dark-blue-jetta. I am FINE, just have to make a few trips to the chiropractor a week but very lucky in the grand scheme of things. It happened on my Dad's birthday of all days, not a phone call any dad wants, on their birthday or any other day :( It was definitely a bump in the road but things are better and we have started CAR SHOPPINGGG.... yaaaay!
On a happier note.... I got chosen to be apart of 2011's Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges. 40 students from my graduating class got picked and I am very excited about it :) I felt so humbled to be selected, it is definitely a resume booster and something very neat to share!
I am single. Very single. And college boys SUCK. Just throwing it out there. I can't wait for MEN who have real JOBS and make MONEY and do NOT a) belong to a frat b) drink beer all day every day c) play video games d) don't know how to use a phone e) can't GET it together! I mean, come one guys, THROW US A BONE. I actually feel badly for you.... we are going to be swooped on by 25 year old men who actually know how lucky they are while you run around for 5 more years like a pathetic, drunk lost puppy. Oh well.
I am going home on WEDNESDAY (after vegas)! I haven't been home this close to my birthday since high school and it is going to be a great 5 days. We are going to do test drive some cars, shop for graduation and baccalaureate dresses, hopefully watch one of Austin's baseball games and cook yummy food! OH and I also get to meet Liz's new boyfriend! He is older so he doesn't fit into the "sucky boys" category above. But I am SO excited to meet him! His name is Andy and he is a runner and lives in WA. We are going out for dinner and drinks this Friday and I am STOKED :)

Ok, I feel those are all the high points right now. I am laying in my bed going over my vegas outfits in my head.... short dresses and swim suits are really all that are needed ;) I feel like I am going to post a few more when we get closer to graduation in a month (May 28th to be exact) Redlands has been the most amazing adventure and 4 years of my life. I have made incredible friends and sisters. Many who I know will be people in my life far beyond May 28th. It took me a while to really understand college and the importance of not only getting a degree but taking the time to find yourself so you are better suited for your future. It is crazy to think how far I have come from the girl who sat on her hotel pull-out bed, blogging before the first day of freshman year. Truly mind blowing.

Since then I have.... met best friends on DAY 2, played on a collegiate tennis team, joined a sorority, braved 2 years in dorms, lived in Austria, traveled Europe, completed my English degree, lived in an apartment, had boyfriends, had heartbreak. And lastly, coming to an end of a chapter in my life that will be the hardest to say goodbye to. Although I am MORE than ready to leave behind frat houses and keggers, the people and the place that Redlands is is irreplaceable.

Your goodbye is coming soon Redlands.... I will miss you more than you know. But before all the mushy stuff gets too real, please give me a May to remember ;)

Life is a maze, love is a riddle

2011-03-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

Lots of things on the agenda, lots of things on my mind!

This week...

*my rough draft of my senior portfolio is due

*Greek presents (my last one!) is on Saturday

*I get to see mom, dad and austin on SUNDAY for the BNP Pariba tennis tournament!!

*my grad speech audition is on Saturday (... I don't know the trigger of this inspiration but I decided to audition to be a speaker at my graduation in May) Wish me luck!

These past week my close-knit community has been struggling with an unexpected death. Kellan Ward, a brother of the Alpha Gamma Nu fraternity, passed away on Feb. 28th. It has been and very hard and emotional time for everyone at Redlands, those who were really close to him and those who only knew him briefly.

His memorial service was yesterday and I decided not to attend. I feel like I have made peace with his passing and based on how emotional I am, I knew it would only send me a million steps back. His parents, brother and sister spoke and many girls from my sorority. I think everyone found closure in the service, and if I find time today I am planning on baking the Gamma nu's some cookies to show Delta's support. Kellan was an amazing guy, his life was too short, but we will remember him forever.

On a much different note, the girls and I got back from a relaxing spring break in PALM DESERT on friday! We stayed at my grandparents house and it was just what the doctor ordered! We tanned, swam, had drinks by the pool, went out for breakfast, walked el paseo, and read good books. Thanks Mary and Dave for a great weekend :)

Gave it my best shot...

2011-02-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

I have an intense (100% self inflicted) phobia of needles. Doctors, blood, shots, etc. I have passed out in multiple doctors offices, caused a scene and given my mother a half dozen heart attacks. The end of last summer, after our 1/2 marathon and my stint in the hospital I had to get my blood drawn a lot. A lot. After 2 days of constant needles, I became slightly more comfortable with the idea. This awareness led me to believe that maybe I could de-sensitize to the whole issue.

SO when a blood drive came to our school I thought, what a perfect opportunity! So after nature study class, I walked over with my friend and took the plunge. Signed up, I got a sticker with my name on it, answered a million questions and waited for my number to be called. I walked into the open room and saw rows of beds with people lying on them and bags of blood filling up. They looked like corpses. I was a little put off but went with it.

My number was called and the nurse took me back and pricked my finger to check my blood. Um, finger prick: OW. And she picked my right hand which was annoying. My poor ring finger felt like it had a pulse. I was only imagining what those daunting beds had in store for me. SO after blood levels were assessed, I was assigned to a bed and told to lie down. My nurse wasn't my style. She didn't like talking to me and when I asked her if "donating blood" was like "getting your blood drawn" and she looks at me and goes: "No. The needle is bigger and we take much more blood." Wonderful.

I did it like a champ. Didn't cry. Squeezed the little heart grip ball just like she said. They played good music. 8 minutes later...

Then I get assigned to the snacks table for 15 minutes. They give you this pamphlet to read, my friend Laura was already there. I WAS HOME FREE! Munching on Nutter-butters and pretzels, drinking water, Laura and I were exchanging nurse stories. My arm felt like it got punched and my finger was throbbing, but I made it.

SYKE. The temperature in the room climbed 100 degrees. My hearing got fuzzy, eye sight blurred, I knew these signs all too well. A bell was rung, nurses swarmed. Yep. I pass out at the snacks table.

The bed on rollers and cold towels felt good. I only needed about 15 minutes before I returned back to the snacks table for another 15 minutes to "see how I did." Laura stayed with me. Partly freaked out, partly laughing. I told her this happens sometimes but that I was trying to desensitize myself to it all. What a joke.

Moral of the story, epic fail. I called my mom in Hawaii and she asked me why in the world I would even attempt such a thing. But the important thing is that I TRIED and someone very special is going to enjoy my blood :)

Words to live by

2011-02-21T12:36:00.001-08:00

This is what my beautiful roommates taped to our bathroom mirror this morning and I couldn't be more obsessed with it... ♥

"I believe in being strong when everything is going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles." -audrey hepburn

Happy Belated Valentines Day!

2011-02-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

I was going to write a Valentines Day post, but my night class went a little longer than expected and I was not in the “blog worthy” mood. Anyways, Happy belated Valentine’s Day! My day was filled with ceramics, a nature study paper, night class, sushi take-out and the Bachelor J The roomies and I were going to watch The Social Network, but I got back too late and the Bachelor seemed like the timely option.

The Social Network was a vday gift courtesy of my mom! I got quite the holiday package on Friday… 2 swimsuits, nail polish, chocolate, Kristy’s homemade candy popcorn, gum, a DVD, sports bras, and a cute top! I was wondering why the AMAZING package and I chalked it up to it being mom’s first year with both her girls out of the coop ;) I guess she figured she needed to make them extra special since she was surrounded by too much testosterone on the home-front. I also received a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, in a festive Vday vase, AND teddy bear from my father J It was quite the showing, and made me (almost) completely forget I did not have a boy to share it with. Oh well, I am boy-free, drama-free, and LOVING IT. I sing that song, I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T by Ne-yo in the shower daily. Hahahaha

I have just been trucking through the normal senior stuff. Portfolio is in the editing process and I feel like I have a good handle on it. Spring break is in TWO WEEKS and I am excited to head down to Palm Desert to see the grandparents!

OH I almost forgot! I took a breather from Redlands last Friday and headed out to San Diego to visit my friend Jenna for the night! It was SUCH a breath of fresh air, she wined and dined me and it could not have been more perfect. We went to dinner, got drinks, shopped, stood in a relatively short line for Sprinkles cupcakes J and listened to live music at this open bar patio place before I headed back. It was perfect in every way, I want to head back out there soon!

So those are my current happenings. I am working on homework today and then have yoga tonight. I hope everyone had lovely Valentine’s day’s ♥

F is for February Freakout

2011-02-01T23:19:00.000-08:00

It's already February?? Well usually I'd be embracing the closeness of spring and all things related, but in senior terms, new month means less time. Less time to figure all this crazy stuff out. And even before the dreaded "G" word, senior portfolio is staring me in the face like the meanest looking shark that ever lived (I say shark only because I find them to be the scariest animal in the world) So that should help to illustrate my feelings about the whole thing.

I feel like I am Judy Bloom in a sea of peers who write fantasy, or sci-fi, or mystery. To say I feel like the black sheep would be an understatement, but after a few good pep talks I am here to talk about how I am embracing it and not how I am hating it. I cut my manuscript down from 106 pages to 96... (they want around 60...) but that's progress! Plus, it will most likely move in a different direction after I meet with my advisors countless times before my March deadline.

This weekend marks the end of my last RUSH! This is my sixth semester and I think I am okay with saying farewell. It is exciting and weird all at the same time but it's definitely a good time. Frat parties don't sound as fun, my weekend tolerance has subsided, and I get exhausted quicker. Man, 21 has opened a whole new can of worms, haha. BUT I'm hanging in there ;) You know you're old when the freshman girls we are looking at are 18... I will be 22 soon.... NOT OKAY.

I threw on the wheel in ceramics yesterday, and after two failed attempts I made a bowl that was decent enough to keep. YAY! I don't know how it will stack up when I compare it to things I am making in April (hopefully!) but for now it is my pride and joy :) I am trimming it tomorrow and will tell you how it goes!

To end, had yoga tonight sans spiders, thank goodness they took the hint and avoided my mat at all costs. I left feeling relaxed and bug-free.

A shout out to my little sister who is battling yet another east coast storm. Hang in there Meg! Good thing Mom and Dad stocked you up on good winter clothes for christmas.... I won't tell you that I wore a sundress to class today.... whoops ;)

When is yoga not relaxing?

2011-01-25T22:14:00.000-08:00

I'll tell you when.

There I am. Clear mind. Slightly sweaty. Enjoying the music. We are doing sequences of downward facing dog, coming up to standing, extending our backs, stretching our hamstrings. Then we come back down to plank and push forward onto our mats on our hands, chest leading the way. As we begin to come down to the floor to begin the sequence over again I see it. On the corner of my mat. It is black and looks like a shadow at first. A shadow? I am confused. The music is still playing. I squint. SPIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I FLY off my mat, changing the energy in the room from calm and zen to panicked and alarmed. Holly is next to me being a good little student and flowing the flow. I almost knock her over in attempts to get closer to the wall thus further from my mat. People are staring. I keep whispering "oh my God, oh my God" and I can't stop. Goodness gracious, I'm not arachnophobic but I sure am close. The teacher has to come over, I explain with hand gestures and point to my mat. I am trying to be quiet but let's be honest, that ship had sailed.

She ends up having to fold my mat up (trapping the horrible creature) and brings it into the hallway, releasing it. She hands me my mat back but all I can picture is "it" crawling all over it, leaving a trail of disgusting germs and totally throwing me off my game.

The whole rest of class I kept feeling things crawling on me. I was just a little bit distracted. A few minutes would go by and I would forget about it. Then I would realize how good I was doing and therefore re-live it. Out of all the mats in class, all 20 or so odd mats, why, Mr. Spider, did you have to crawl onto mine? UGH.

The silver lining? Actually, GOLD lining because it was just that groundbreaking and should in NO WAY be overshadowed my by traumatic episode..... I DID MY FIRST HEADSTAND TODAY. Holly helped me. It was so cool. After months of yoga I thought I had enough built up core strength to try and it was a success :) I was so proud of myself!

So, I'm going to remember this day as the day I did my very first headstand :) and not the day I encountered a creepy crawler. I thought I would share! Now I am showered and exhausted. Goodnight to all!

Nyquil, you treat me well

2011-01-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

Well there were a lot of things on the calendar for this weekend but my "allergies" turned into my first headcold of the year. Boo! So instead, I spent the weekend in my apartment. And let me just say, I am amazingly talented at entertaining myself. I watched a few movies--Eat, Pray, Love, The Last Song, Mystic Pizza and caught up on bad TV. I also reorganized my shoes that were turning into the second floor of my closet. Oohh.. I got some work done on my Nature Study paper. It's the science class Hil and I have together and to say it's painful would really be giving it too much credit. Our teacher is pretty OCD when it comes to format, word count, citations, etc. We are going a little nuts. However, ask me anything about langur's (monkeys) that live in central India or what kinds of plants grow in the rainforests in Ghana.... I'm your girl.

I got a little laundry done as well (well, that was the last little bit of expended energy before the cold really hit...) And I slept. A lot. 12 hour nights and two naps on Saturday. I felt like a bear going into hibernation.

Yesterday I spent my entire day in English building for our first all-day editing session for our literary mag that comes out in May. We were reviewing submissions and the writer in me actually didn't mind the long Sunday.

It's going to be in the mid-70's through this week. We have informal rush on Thursday and formal rush on Saturday.

Here's a picture from last weekend... pre-sickness! Senior girls :)

A good Wednesday night

2011-01-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I am becoming more domestic by the day. Today, I opened my first cookbook (Christmas present from my amazing mother) and felt inspired. I decided to make dinner for the roomies. I was going to be good and go to yoga at 630, but the thought of a home cooked meal? It was just too enticing.

On the menu? Jeffory's roasted chicken, asparagus with brown butter, crusty sourdough bread and white wine. The white wine was a perfect choice since the chicken recipe called for a 1/2 a cup in the gravy.

I know how to follow a recipe, la la la. But the timing thing kinda threw me for a loop. When to boil the water for asparagus, when to heat the bread, what it meant by the liquid coming out clear. The brown butter was maybe getting too brown, the chicken had been sitting for a while, should I do anything with the soggy lemons? And Redlands finest grocery store, Vons, didn't carry spanish onions. I spent a good 11 minutes searching the produce section for this particular genre of onion with no avail.

Sans spanish onions....the end result? YUM. The rue I made had the (white) onions, lemon, and garlic that I used to roast with. Then I added chicken stock, dry white wine, a little flour and lots of salt and pepper. The onions got all withered and candied. The asparagus turned out perfectly cooked (even after I left them drying in the sink for too long because the rue was boiling too high and the brown butter was popping....) and the bread, which I accompanied with olive oil dipping sauce, was soo good. I didn't want to get up and tackle the chicken carcass or wrap up the bread so it wouldn't get hard. So I poured myself another glass and enjoyed our cozy apartment, the lit candles and my friends. :)

A good Wednesday night, I'd say.

1201 Party!

2011-01-15T10:10:00.001-08:00

Our first delta party of the semester! All our girls who went abroad are back and it feels so good. Today we have a recruitment event from 11-1. Rush starts in two weeks and things are flying by quickly as usual. Its going to be 75 and sunny out today... no complaints :)

Winter break, best friends :)

2011-01-12T11:25:00.001-08:00

Happy belated birthday to my favorites, Jackie and Abbie (unfortunately Abbie was all the way in St. Louis and missed the WA celebration...)

♥

Last first day of classes

2011-01-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

It kind of has a catchy ring to it, doesn't it? Last. First day. of classes. Ahhhhhh. And the panic begins... haha. Not really. I've been making the daunting transition quite smoother than anticipated (watch me say this and then have a meltdown tomorrow... ha) BUT all things considered, college is college. I've had 3 1/2 years of it and to say I'm starting to get the "real world" itch would be very accurate...

This morning I had Nature Study, my last general ed class requirement. Hilary and I are taking it together, which makes it less painful. We have it at 9:30am which ended up being our first hurdle. Having come off a previous semester of no morning classes and a break of lazy days, we were walking to breakfast like nocturnal creatures confused by the daylight. A half an hour later, armed with mediocre drip coffees courtesy of the commons, we walked into what we thought was going to be a dismal science class-- surprise surprise, not that bad! The class is discussion/lecture based MINUS exams and no text book. No exams? No midterm? Only papers? That, I assure you, I can handle.

Hilary seemed less than thrilled. I do have to say our 73 year old professor, Dr. Smith, was pretty monotone. But he was intriguing enough for my last science class ever and the added gift of no exams makes my life a lot more pleasant. Other classes on the schedule: Lit Mag, Ceramics! (first art class of college!) and my senior cap stone (which is basically taking the raw material I've written of my novel and going through the never ending editing process. Joy.)

I am all about resumes, cover letters, letters of intent, networking, and editing, editing and more editing these days. Not all bad. Quite the change of pace! It is all exciting, at times anxiety ridden, but for the most part I've been filling my days with the prospect of something so new, so soon. LA, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, San Fran? I feel like Where's Waldo... we will see where I pop up :)

My new years resolution? To BLOG MORE. Goodness gracious, lately it's seemed so daunting to click my "blog" bookmark and type away. But I may have forgotten how good it feels to catch up with myself, unwind, and reflect.

I am back to a January of blue skies... this, a year from now (where ever I am), I will miss.

Essay on nature

2010-12-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

I realized all of the post I had made lately were mostly pictures, so I wanted to share a piece I am working on. It is for my 411 Literary Magazine class and I was supposed to write an essay on nature. It is a work in progress, but here it is!

"Nature has been an artist’s inspiration for centuries. It is through nature that we get the truest sense of ourselves. The washed up froth of the raging seas to the virgin snow on a hidden peak—it stirs something inside all of us. Maybe this is because it is unavoidable; there is no escaping the wind or the sight of a fleeting blackbird. Or maybe it is because everything in nature is personal.

A snowy field on a crisp day is a father and child’s winter wonderland. It is Frosty the Snowman and snowball fights. It is hot cocoa and icy fingers. Bird watching from a lake’s shore is time spent between and mother and daughter. The way the bald eagle bobs in and out of the tops of evergreens is the even breath of a moment shared. The tender arch of the moon’s backside is the way her bare back looks beneath the sheets. A stunning morning glow highlights her golden curls.

It has been said that nature is all around us, and although that is no doubt true, it is even closer to our being. Nature is apart us. Instead of being the greedy consumers that we as humans fall victim to, the organic life that pristinely grows without poke or prod is our reminder that life is delicate. Taking the time to pause in admiration allows for this vital shift from superficial big picture to the smaller details. In this issue we are exploring this attention to detail through a series of pieces that all compliment one another, some in more obvious ways than others. Every author holds their own moments of understanding and admiration for the life that we have each been given—one that rests like a hummingbird on the lip of a petal, fragile and fleeting.

I was six when I realized there was more out there than Sesame Street and school recess. We took a field trip to an apple orchard, it was autumn and my family and I had just gone to pick out pumpkins days before. I didn’t know exactly what we would be doing there, our teacher kept calling it an apple squeeze but that just confused me more. Apples were too hard to squeeze, weren’t they? When we got there, an older man in overalls told us to circle up while he explained how they turned the fruit into apple juice. It was a crisp day; my nose was cold and pink from the wind. Huge trees lined the farm, their leaves looked like the bold colors from my Crayola box.

Some kids started out at the big juicer while others, like myself, were taken out deeper into the estate to learn more about apple trees. Up until this point I held onto the notion that fruit came from somewhere, of course, but the “somewhere” part hadn’t been completely worked out. We followed the man in overalls like a row of perfect ducklings, winding in and out of trees and scattered wheelbarrows.

The man led us to a small dirt clearing in the middle of all the trees. He took a seat in the dirt and motioned for us to do the same. The ground felt soft and damp under my palms. The man cleared his throat, ran his dirt-caked hand through his full head of graying hair, and began to tell us a story. Wide-eyed, we listened. I felt the wind stop—I don’t think it wanted any of his words to get lost. He spoke of a man named Johnny Appleseed and I was captivated. I remember the way he spoke, slow and methodically, with purpose.

It all made sense. The life in the dirt below my palms, the tiny seeds that held so much. The man finally gave me a reason to tolerate cloudy days—the seeds needed the rain to grow. So many things came together for me at that moment, on the floor of the apple orchard on a day nearing Halloween. I had this overwhelming appreciation for all the life I couldn’t see but knew was out there. Johnny Appleseed knew it, too. "

Informal in Palm Springs!

2010-11-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

Our informal was last night in Palm Springs! I wanted to share some pictures from all the festivities! It was such a fun night and I have the pictures to prove it :) My date is Matt, Hilary took Cameron, and the 4 of us had quite the night out!

Matt and I :)

My 3 favorites♥

Hilary and Cameron!

me with some of my babies!!

Emily and I :)

Chi Sig & Deltas!

Nat and I... love her!

Halloween Pictures!

2010-11-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

From geeks to ballerinas to where's waldo to cowgirls.... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

En Fuego: 2010. Knock em' DEAD 9♥

Hello Fall!

2010-10-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again... where the air gets a little colder, pumpkins find their places out on front door stoops and costumes are the talk of the town. Halloween is just around the corner!! I was thinking Pochantus or Tinkerbell. Decisions, decisions!

Things have been quite a whirlwind since my last post 3 weeks ago. We welcoming 9 amazing girls into our sisterhood and I couldn't be more excited. The process is 6 weeks, which means we're half way done. It's been classes, Delta, writing, Delta, homework, and more Delta and I am loving every minute of it. Some days I find myself a little low on sleep but I just remember why I am doing this and the girls make everything seem worth while.

It was homecoming this past weekend and we CLEANED UP. Seriously. Football played Occidental and we ended up winning 51-7 or something ridiculous like that and soccer killed, 4-1. Talk about a reason to celebrate! Friday night we went to the bars with all the alumni in town (including my big sis, my pledge mom from HAWAII, and a miss jenna tempkin :) ) Ahhhhh. It was so much fun. They are not used to us being 21 and able to partake in such activities so it was a nice change of pace from campus frat parties.

Saturday morning we had an Alumni Brunch at the Delta house. It was a really nice social hour and we had mimosas and I introduced all the old and washed up graduates to my babies :) They were SO cute and not shy at all. Every fall our alums award a Delta Girl of the Year at the brunch and this year I was chosen. I was so surprised and flattered, it really meant a lot to me. They engraved my name on a plaque with the other recipients that hangs in the house, gave me a silver charm with my name on it, and a check for $200. It was WAY to nice and I am still in shock. Everyone votes on a senior, so the nomination came from my sisters.

This coming Friday we have our annual fundraiser party, En Fuego. Saturday is Greek Presents (and early halloween celebrations) and Sunday is Halloween!

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks; football games, sports functions, a random one night in VEGAS, and more.

Oh the thrill of it all...

2010-10-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

It feels like Christmas. I could barely sleep last night, getting to bed somewhere around 230am and waking up at 7. TODAY IS BID DAY!!!! And I am freaking out. In four hours we will be welcoming new babies into Delta. I am terrified, excited, nervous, elated, stoked, and all of the above. You have to be a sophomore or older to rush in the fall so the small fact that I won't be dealing with freshmen is pretty reassuring. Starting today, for the next 6 weeks my life is going to be full of purple. I will have many little ones looking up to me and calling me "mom." Maybe this responsibility is amazing birth control... after week 2 I am told I will just want to rip out all of my hair. BUT I feel like it will be different. I love every one of these girls and I am so excited to be calling them sisters soon.

We will find out who took our bids around noon today. In a half hour we all get to the house and start crafting. While they are waiting for their bids, we are waiting for them at the house. I think it's a cool tradition. 3:30pm they find us at an off campus house, they meet me for the first time, and the day begins!

On another note, I wanted to give a little shout out to my wonderful, amazing, incredible sister, who turned 19!!!!!! on Thursday. 19. God, that makes me feel old! Haha. But seriously, I am so lucky to have a sister as amazing as Megan... with each year you only turn more into the incredible woman I know you are.

Ok, I have to get out of bed and start embarking on the craziest most wonderful most exciting day of MY LIFE..... honestly, I am like school girl giddy. Oh my...

Mom & Dad: I hope you guys have a blast in NY visiting the birthday girl!!! I am there in spirit :)

♥

Hello heat!

2010-09-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

It was a hot one this weekend, topping out at 108 degrees, WOAHH! Anything above 100 starts to feel the same but it was disgusting nonetheless. Blah! Thursday we had a football function, Friday was dedicated to getting ready for Formal Rush, Saturday was Formal rush, and yesterday was a homework day!

I am just getting so excited for Saturday I really cannot stand it. All these girls are so cute and I've fallen in love with so many of them... Saturday cannot come soon enough! This whole week will be dedicated to finishing up all the things I need to get ready for them. I have to print out pages for their new member books, finishing tying ribbon on the book sleeves, and get their Bid Day things together. So much to do and SO EXCITED for it to finally comeeee!!!!

Here is a picture of (most of) the seniors at formal rush:

And this is me and Natalie, the president. Come Saturday, we will be very busy girls these next 6 weeks!

♥

I wanted to share a poem Nana sent me, it is pretty and simple and I loved it :)

Some Say
Some say you're lucky

If nothing shatters it.

But then you wouldn't
Understand poems or songs.
You'd never know
Beauty comes from loss.

It's deep inside every person:
A tear tinier
Than a pearl or thorn.

It's one of the places
Where the beloved is born.

for Lisa

Gregory Orr

What a week!

2010-09-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, Rush has officially begun! Our informal was last night. Our theme was Superhero and our slogan: Have no fear, Delta is here! It was super cute and the girls got really into it! We have 111 rushees, needless to say it was overwhelming but in a good way :) Our formal rush is Saturday and then recruitment events are all next week. Wahoo!

On other topics, my looming senior portfolio is starting to freak me out, like really. A novel was not something I saw myself working on at 21 (ha) but, I'm jumping right in! It's a pretty daunting assignment. And strangely enough the biggest challenge is just blocking out a chunk of time for just me and my laptop. No phones. No facebook. My first 40 pages are due in 2 weeks. Eek! Updates to come...

Wanted to share some pictures.... just from random weekend fun :) Tonight we have a function with the football team, jersey themed, and tomorrow it's back to the library for me!

Oh PS: Week 2 of YOGGAA and I'm in love ♥ (and sore........) ;)

Senior Fall!

2010-09-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from the last week or so, enjoy!

I have not abandoned my blog!

2010-09-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

So I'm not going to say I didn't think about it. After a semester abroad I came to a point where since I was no longer able to write about my weekend trips to Italy and Switzerland, blogging seemed pretty boring. BUT I started this as a freshman in college and I want to finish it how I envisioned. A neat 4 year summary of all of my experiences, memories, pictures, and friendships.

I don't have any pictures to share quite yet, but I do have updates.

First and foremost, last week I said hello to my last year of college. I am a senior. What in the world? Honestly, I can so vividly remember my freshman year; moving in during a 110 degree heat wave, rushing, pledging, playing tennis, meeting best friends. It seems like the saying holds true, time flies when you're having fun. And oh has it flown.

As I said before, I am pledge mom this semester and I truly CANNOT WAIT. Rush starts next week and on October 2nd I will have little delta babies to call my own.

Class wise I am swamped with what every senior goes through. Their senior capstones, final workshops, senior portfolios, blah blah blah. I only have one assignment in my final fiction workshop and that is simply to write a novel. Write a novel, the professor said, as if she were telling us to color a picture. Write a what? I asked Amy, one of my fellow English majors sitting next to me. This was announced last week during our first class so I guess I've had a week to get used to the idea but not really. Ha.

I also decided to join the 2010-2011 staff of the Redlands Review. The RR is our university's literary magazine and it is a full year commitment. I'm really excited because this is the only taste of journalism I have gotten since I've been here and I love the process of literary journalism. Everything from copy editing to layout.

I also am embarking on a new chapter in my life... yoga! I am currently going through an emotionally draining and hard break up, so I thought it is as good a time as any to make a few changes and get happy again :)

Today was my first class, 9-10:30am and I loved it! I have never EVER sweat so much in my entire life. I mean it. I was dripping, my hands were slipping on my mat, and my vision would periodically become temporarily blurred by my salty toxins as I trying to relax. Relax? I felt like someone just threw me in the pool and then laid me on this mat ON LAND. The girl next to me was lightly dabbing her face with a cool towel while I, yoga-virgin and towel-less, sent limbs and sweat flying while I tried to remain cool, calm, and collected. Oh, and breathing.

That may seem like a headache of a class but minus the profuse sweating-no towel part, it was amazing! I feel rejuvenated and ready for the day.

So there's my little post. More to come, I promise! Stick with me as I conquer senior year and finish this whole college thing up the right way :)

Gotta have faith

2010-07-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in what feels like ages. I guess, as of late, I've been reading more than writing. I'm in Bali right now, the third part of Gilbert's well known novel, Eat, Pray, Love. I think I talked about this book in a January post. My best guess is that the book and the progress that was made on it was abandoned once spring semester picked up. So here I am, a handful of months later, giving the story the time it deserves. With Julia Roberts starring in the film, I know it is one I won't be able to pass up. But I told myself I would not indulge in the movie until I have spent time with the book. And the movie comes out the 30th. Ready, set, go.

Of course anyone who is reading this and has read the book, you know what I'm going through. A path of self-existentialism? A re-thinking of the word, God? A craving growing so big and deep in my chest to just run off after college and pave my own path through the streets of Italy and the culture of the Balinese? Or all the above? I am not finished, so no book report yet. But what an incredible journey Gilbert has already painted. I can only hope some of her writing style is being mentally sticky-noted so my brain can effortlessly refer back to her voice when need be.

I have also read: The Girls from Ames (non-fiction) and True Colors, (novel).

My days are filled with working at a retirement community just across the bridge. A job that I could never have expected effecting me the way it has. I was going to blog through out the summer about my job and the hilarious stories/situations I find myself in daily, but between work and training for the race and reading/family time, blogging is usually near the bottom of my list.

But anyway, working with seniors is something I never in a million years saw myself doing. And never in a million years saw myself liking.

Bear with me, but before this summer I didn't especially care much for the 85+ crowd. I felt uncomfortable, out of my element. What do you even do with them anyway? Treat them like capable adults, only talk louder? Treat them like little kids, except they can tell me what to do? After all, they have 60+ on me. In my past experiences, I have also found that they smell like food, always look confused, make you repeat yourself like 30 times, and run over your heels with their walkers.

But against all odds, I fell into it. Into this small, smiley community. And have come out the other side with many more friends eligible for the early bird special. I take Dorothy grocery shopping and out the the seven things on her grocery list, we find five and it takes an hour. Barb usually comes to craft time, and at 88 is one of the busiest ladies I know. Chuck walks to the beat of his own drum, and never lets me clear his morning dishes. Leonard, at the ripe age of 95, still refuses to use his walker on a regular basis, and enjoys taking strolls outside and examining the trees, more specifically the leaves on the trees. Joan is suffering from dementia and her husband Tom is becoming increasingly agitated by her declining heath. At first you want to blame Tom, tell him he needs to be patient and supportive of Joan. But in Tom's eyes, it's not as much him getting angry at the small things just out of agitation, it's the frightening reality that he is slowly losing the one he loves. And scared that without her, there might not be a lot left for him to hold on to.

So yes, as you can see I am forming personal relationships with these people, and that is another reason why I didn't ever see myself entering this field. I am emotional. Whether it's PMS or any other random day of the month, I am a classic offender of the: care too much, worry too much, carry too much. Once I am emotionally invested in someone (which doesn't take long), I carry what they carry. Not because I want to, but because I truly feel like I am just the kind of person who is hardwired to. I carry another's loss for days, I sit with it and talk to it and try to understand it. Why does she have Multiple Myeloma? Why did he have to lose his wife? Why can't she remember?

Taking this into full circle, I feel like I could not be reading a more perfect book for what I am experiencing in my life right now. Faith.

As Gilbert puts it, "Faith is a belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking full-speed and face-first into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be... a prudent insurance policy."

I guess you just gotta have faith.

Long time no post

2010-07-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't posted in a while probably because I haven't found much that screamed blog-worthy. I am working/interning 5 days a week in Gig Harbor (Not working today because it's the 5th and I got the day off... waking up at 9am felt soooo good!) Two weeks ago Dad and I decided to embark on something new: running a 1/2 marathon: The Tacoma Narrows in August. August 7th to be exact. So we've been training for that.

Liz is here for the summmaaa so that has made me a happy girl :) She spent all weekend with me, we met up with some old friends at a bar on Saturday night, and went up to Seattle and did a cooking class Saturday morning. ONE SET BACK: We had tickets to go see Rihanna on Friday night, something we had been looking forward to for MONTHS! and it got cancelled. What a bummer! We have no quite forgiven her, it'll take a few more weeks I'm sure. ;)

Our French exchange student is coming in a week for two weeks. We planned a long weekend to Whistler, Canada as something fun to do. Zip lining, hiking, and shopping are some of the things on the agenda.

I am also getting the ball rolling on my abroad scrapbook. I went out and bought everything craft-wise for it with mom the other weekend and today I am planning on getting my pictures developed. Woooo, I am SO excited :)

Well, thats all for now. If I take some blog-worthy pictures I'll be sure to put them up!

I ♥ grey days

2010-06-16T09:07:00.001-07:00

It wouldn't be home without the grey days of June. With a cup of coffee, the TODAY show and a antsy puppy that sits longing for that rainy morning walk, I am so happy to be home for the summer. Next week I start work, so this week is full of doctors apts and other odds and ends to get done before my schedule gets crazier. LIZZIE IS HERE! Finally. And I get her all summer! Which is fantastic. I'm already itching to get out to good ol' Vashon :)

Monday night some high school friends and I met up at the Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor. We were definitely the youngest people at the bar but it was really fun. Pitchers of beer and hilarious conversation... I think I'm adjusting to this whole 21 thing very nicely.

On the calendar:

Putt-putt date, doctor apt, coffee with Megan!, planning a trip to Forks, WA. Hello, Twilight. Engine-house karaoke, banana scrabble, baking with sissy, much needed hair apt., and the scrapbooking begins!

ps: If anyone is looking for a good book, I'm reading True Colors by Kristin Hannah right now and it is fantastic! I would also recommend Eat, Pray, Love (the movie is coming out soon!) and The Girls from Ames by Jeffery Zaslow (non-fiction, wonderful... mom: read!)

Summer's here... well almost

2010-06-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Friday had to come. After an amazing few days, Jordan left yesterday (and I already miss him!) We went to Pike's Place, took Hank for walks, booze cruised on our boat, hot tubed (and jumped in the still freezing cold lake...) watched movies and just spent time together. I was so nice having him here and being able to show him around home, good ol' Lakewood, even if the weather didn't really pull through for us. But it was sunny on Tuesday and that's the day we picked to wander Pike's Place and boat so it worked :) It was perfect. It has been one day and I miss him.

But even with Jordan gone, it's still a madhouse over here. Megan had Baccalaureate last night which mom and dad went to and they had a great time. Austin still had a final this morning so Hank and I stayed in and I quizzed him on vocab. And tomorrow is the Big Day... my little sister is finally graduating high school. Wow. I thought she was going to be a freshman forever but surprise surprise! She is in fact growing up and headed off to New York in August. I am so excited for her to start this new chapter. If she even has close to the college experience I have been lucky to have she is going to love college and the friends she makes there just as much as everything she is leaving behind.

♥

I'm back!

2010-06-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

To say I owed a post would be an understatement. Since my last update, I have moved out of my apartment and said goodbye to Junior year, loaded my car and made the 19hr trek back home, spent a week in Maui, and helped celebrate my little sisters near graduation with a wonderful open house! Woooh!

And now I am sitting here, coffee in hand, home for the WHOLE summer, getting ready to tackle the obscene amount of luggage and clothing waiting for me in the laundry room. I am forcing myself to make today a productive one because tonight JORDAN IS VISITING!!! :) He is taking the train from Portland and getting in a little after 8pm and staying until Friday. I am so excited to see him and show him around my neck of the woods. And the sun is supposed to make an appearance tomorrow so I'm thinking that might be the perfect day to explore Pike's Place. :) yay

My friend Bret came over last night after Megan's open house and it was very nice to see him. We sat out on the dock and drank beer and talked. My first official night of summer, and however yucky it was outside, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way :)

My mom took this picture of the trees across our lake and it was too pretty not to post. I missed this incredible sunset when I was in Hawaii, but I guess I can't complain ;)

1 week?!

2010-05-21T10:14:00.001-07:00

Well, I just woke up and realized a week from today Hilary and I will be partaking on epic car ride #4. I can't believe we've made the journey three other times. It feels like just yesterday we were driving down for the beginning of sophomore year. Wow. And just one last week of junior year remains. Hmmm, where has the time gone?

This weekend we have our annual Delta Lingerie Party (don't worry, its more like cute short lacy dresses than parading around in bras and underwear...) AND Lucky Lager (a beer scavenger hunt with the soccer team) and then one more week of classes and we're DONE.

My class has been such a positive experience for me. I look forward to every day of class and want to soak up everything our teacher, Fran, has to say. My journal that I have been keeping, I feel like in ways has temporarily replaced my blog. Since we are supposed to write in it everyday, I find myself spilling my daily feelings on the the pages instead of my usual routine of writing here. Don't worry, the class only has one more week and then I'll be back to writing about my PMS or exciting highlights, haa.

We have already made a dent in packing/the storage unit/all the above. I have nightmares about how stressful it has been in years past so getting a head start has made a world of difference. That's all for now. Its been in the 80's all this week, I was at the pool yesterday and burned my back :( BUT I can't complain in the slightest...

A week from tomorrow I will be back in lovely WASHINGTON, (only for one night) and then off to HAWAII for a week with Hilary, Jackie, and her parents. Woooohooooooo. No complaints :)

Animal Planet

2010-05-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

It's 11pm on a Saturday and I'm in for the night. Weird, huh? First Saturday in a while and it feels SO nice! The girls and I went to Mexican and then saw Robin Hood (which I would recommend to anyone! Russell Crowe, mmmmmm) and now bed sounds pretty nice.

Today was a pool day. It was 85 out and the perfect "nothing" day to spend sunning. I woke up pretty late from a very late night last night. Jordan and I went to go see Ben Folds in Anaheim at the House of Blues. It was a blast. Ben is a pianist who also sings and is overall just awesome. We listened to a lot of his stuff when we were abroad so it was really neat that we could see him together. Regina Specktor opened for him, she is this really cute Australian girl and this guy on a guitar and they were absolutely hilarious. She sang a song about getting a Facebook friend request from a man who had done her wrong, you may have had to be there, but she was great. The concert went until midnight, and Anaheim is a little over an hour away, so taking into account the In-N-Out drive thru detour, we were in bed laaaaate.

BUT I seemed to have a semi-productive day. Did some reading for class. Journaled. Tanned. Showered. Packed a few more things up so we can make our first trip to the storage unit tomorrow (grudgingly taking Mom's advice and spacing out the enormous task of packing and spreading it out over a couple weeks...) I hope everyone had as good a weekend as I did. FRIENDS and it's goodnight for me :)

OH WELL I feel I should amend that statement by saying I'm going to attempt to fall asleep. The apartment above ours (4 cross country girls) NEVER have people over, we really never even hear them. Yes, we know we are lucky with how many guys basketball and football apartments there are here. But of course, the one night I choose to stay in, they choose to throw the bash of the year! I think it's themed "Mix'n'match" ? Because every once in a while someone stumbles down the stairs in boxers, some God-awful hat, a t-shirt, and a tie. So, music blaring, little screeching cross-country girls, and stomping feet... it's really like Animal Planet invaded 224.

The animals and I are going to try and get some rest. Sleep tight.

Vegas, take 2. KZZ Formal

2010-05-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

the girls...

the boys...

May

2010-05-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Since my last update, the long days of May have been filling in the gaps. For may term, I am taking a class called Wholeness and Healing. I was originally in Experiencing Music, but it ended up not being at all what I thought it was so after hearing about Abbie's class, I decided to try it.

It has been one of the best decisions I have made regarding classes I have taken in my 3 years here at school. I don't exactly know how to describe it. It is a religion class, so we are learning about a variety of different religions. Just yesterday I was apart of a group presentation that researched Taoism. Taoism is belief system that is based around nature and the universe as a whole. It is so interesting to look at these different belief systems that I have never been exposed to and learning about how they interweave in life. We meditate, do yoga, draw mandalas, and keep a running journal of our experiences and feelings through these 4 weeks. This is an exciting class for me because I really have done nothing like it. Our grade is solely based on growth evident in our journal and class participation. The class is very diverse and it is interesting for me hear what people, who are so opposite from me, open up and give their perspectives on things so foreign to me.

This is Week 2 of May Term, and I know very well to expect time to fly. I ♥ Mayy

My birthday, Newport, and everything in between

2010-05-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Ah it feels so good to finally blog again :) After a week of on-the-go, I am back and ready for May. My birthday was fabulous, thanks to my amazing friends and family. Saturday night (my birthday being at midnight) the girls decorated Jackie's apartment and surprised me with a little celebration. They baked me a cake and crafted a drinker for me, it was so cute! I loved it! And I was very surprised, which is a hard task to accomplish given how much time we spend together. haaa

I got to skype with the fam the morning of my special day. It was good to see all their smiling face, I miss being home on my birthdays the most. I got to open my present while we skyped, too! I got a very nice, way too nice, watch that I absolutely ADORE. Mom said that dad picked out all the little details of it specifically for me and he could not have done a better job! It is perfect and I wear it always and every time I look at it I smile.

Around noon we left for Laughlin, Nevada. Laughlin is an annual Greek trip over May break. We stayed for 2 nights... you can really only do 2 nights of Laughlin, coined "the armpit of Nevada." Ha. Tuesday we drove the 4 1/2 hours to Newport and arrived at our adorable hotel on the beach, The Newport Beachwalk Hotel. It felt more like an inn. There was breakfast every morning, a gated place to park the car, and a big bath tub that the girls and I enjoyed :) Wednesday we rented bikes all day and biked to Balboa Island, shopped, got the famous Balboa bars, and enjoyed the sunshine. Thursday we drove to Fashion Island and ate at California Pizza Kitchen for lunch. Mmmmmmm. We had the end of the afternoon to relax and get ready for dinner and I took the opportunity to spend some good "me time" at the beach while the shower rotation of five girls commenced. I forget how calming the beach is until I am there: shoes off, wind blowing, waves lulling. Sometimes it just takes a change for you to look at the things in your life differently. Environment gives you perspective. The water and the peacefulness and how simple things can seem so complicated, I don't know. It's easier to breathe at the beach. With no one watching, no one talking, no one there to judge. It is simpler when it's quiet. I don't think I take time to appreciate the quiet enough.

That night we met up with Lizzie who drove over for dinner and ate at this really cozy Italian place called Sol Grill. It was delicious and the perfect evening. The six of us girls caught up on everything, listened to good live music, and just enjoyed each others company. It was everything I wanted. Liz also brought Sprinkles cupcakes for dessert which was such a treat.

Friday we got to spend a relaxing morning sleeping in and eating breakfast. We took one last trip to the beach to play with the bubbles and sand castle toys that they put in my "Birthday Box" and we took some cute pictures.

All in all it was a great week. I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone else but my girls. Thank you to everyone who made me feel special. x's and o's ♥

Forest Falls & my (almost!) birrtthhddaayy :)

2010-04-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

Where can you find snow at the end of April? Well, Forest Falls of course. Holly, Abbie, and I went up there (about a half hour outside of Redlands) yesterday to do some exploring. We were dressed warmly but not warmly enough. It was 30 degrees and snowing. Holly had shoes where you could see her toes and Abbie was wearing sweat pants that forgot to cover her ankles. Long story short, our vision of actually walking around the falls were lost due to weather, BUT we did have fun taking pictures and wandering down the a stream not far from my parked car.

It was a nice escape from the bubble or school and studying and all three of us happily embraced it.

The official countdown is winding down... 4 days until the infamous 2-1. Im getting quite excited. I have yet to decide the order of the events... if I want to go out the night before and cheers at midnight? Well, that a given, my friends would kill me if I decided to be lame on my birthday. But with a 5 hour car ride on the actual day, + me being notorious for getting carsick... I don't want to screw myself over and turn my happy-amazing-celebratory-big day into a nauseous experience... SO we'll see. I'm already turning into my parents... all I want to drink is wine. When does one officially get the title wino? I'm on my way... ;)

XXOO

love, the almost birthday girl

I can see the light!

2010-04-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well it is finals week... now doesn't that sound like fun? Actually, I have the worst of it behind me and I can finally breathe a little easier. I turned in two portfolios on Monday... oh my, the feeling that came with printing 40+ pages felt sooo good. I have a take-home final in my Child Development class due today at noon that I finished last night. And lastly, my Environmental Chem final is Saturday at 9am. Yeah, that sounds like the worst thing ever I know, haha, but that means Saturday by 11am I will be free :)

Today and tomorrow I don't really have much to do. I'm saving the majority of my chem studying for Friday since it's basically like one huge review. Holly, Abbie, and I are going exploring in Forest Falls this afternoon. It is less than a half hour away and as of late, I have be into getting outside and making use of all the sun we get down here.

Sunday (the birthdayyy) we are leaving for our 5hr drive to Laughlin, NV for 2 nights. On tuesday we will leave Laughlin early and drive to Newport. We are staying in Newport through Friday and coming back Friday early evening.

I have quite the May break ahead of me and I couldn't be more excited. Liz is going to try and come down for a night while we are in Newport and I am so excited to just relax and enjoy a much deserved time-out.

I hope April in Washington isn't too rainy...

♥

You are too blessed to be stressed

2010-04-19T13:34:00.001-07:00

This is something my Education teacher read aloud in class today and it made me feel so good. I hope it can add something to your day too! :)

You Are Too Blessed To Be Stressed

Remember, you are too blessed to be stressed!

Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.

Pass all your tests.

Problems are simply a part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

Don't compare yourself with others; you have no idea what their journey is all about.

Make peace with your past so it won't mess up your present.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

Do the right thing. Even if it kills you!

Call your family often.

Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.

Take a 30-minute walk every day and smile while your walking.

Life isn't fair, but it is still good.

You don't have to win every argument, agree to disagreements.

Live the Three E's: Energy, Empathy, and Enthusiasm.

And the Three F's: Faith, Family, and Friends.

Spend more time with people over the age of seventy and under the age of six.

Dream more while you are awake.

Try to make at least three people smile each day.

Burn the candles, use the nice sheets- don't save them for a special occasion.

Today is special.

Life is too short to hate anyone. Forgive everyone everything.

Time heals almost everything; give time, time.

However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up!

No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

...the best is yet to come!!

♥

A day outside the Redlands bubble

2010-04-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Abbie and I joined Hilary and her parents and went hiking in Joshua Tree. We did a 6.2 miles loop which took us about 3 hours, and it was so much fun! The only set back was that we forgot to put sunscreen on our shoulders and backs (only our faces) so I just made a 911 run to Vons to get some aloe lotion. I look like a tomato.

It was so peaceful and nice out on the trail. It was a perfect day for hiking, we got a little breeze every once in while, and I took some pictures. Sometimes what the doctor orders is a little time away, and it was great. We even got to see this gold mine that they built years ago. Nothing like a hike to clear your head before this upcoming week of finals.

Laughter, the best medicine

2010-04-11T21:35:00.001-07:00

My other title for this post was: An ode to my girls, but lovely blogger.com thought it was a little too long. So...

Laughter, the best medicine/An ode to my girls

So I have been thinking about it a lot lately and I have come to the conclusion that I really wonder if people laugh as much as my friends and I do. I starting thinking about this only because I spent the majority of the weekend (like most weekends) with the same crew of girls, give or take a few, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and a) we really never get sick of each other and b) we are probably, definitely, yes, laughing 90% of the time. And I'm serious. Is this normal? Hilary and I worked on Enviro Chem homework in the library today from 2-4:45pm and we had an absolute blast. Granted, the homework might have taken us an hour less if the study session wasn't also social hour BUT nonetheless, my homework is done, and we have about 50 more inside jokes to add to our inappropriately long list of hilarious moments. The commons for dinner, a hoot. Otherwise boring and sweaty community service Relay4Life, so entertaining. Laying by the pool, well all I have to say is Jackie can killllll a bee. See?? Inside joke #87589.

I am still under the weather, finals are looming, it is exactly 2 WEEKS until MY 21st.... and I maybe should be stressing about finals and tests and portfolios but instead, I am going to bed sniffly&happy. I have the best friends in the entire world and isn't that what it's all about anyway??

I have a quote that hangs on my wall near my door and I look at it every time I leave my room:

"True friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget."

Good thing I'm not a senior (yet) and don't have to begin the 24/7 separation anxiety period anytime soon. If I didn't have another year here I would be spiraling into a depression starting.. now. Isn't it crazy how much peoples happiness relies on other people? In a nutshell, that's why I value relationships so much. Without them I wouldn't be in intoxicatingly bubbly, happy, sarcastic, smiley person I am. Oh what a world.

♥

Rollercoaster

2010-04-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

Some days I feel on and some days I feel off. Yesterday I woke up, tried to lift my head off my pillow, and realized it had grown the the size of a watermelon overnight. You know you're sick when it a gorgeous 85 degree day outside and the thought of being in the sun almost makes you queasy.

My major has been discouraging these days, too. There are a lot of students in my classes who live and breathe their work, are constantly reading and writing and editing and editing and editing. Granted, they do not have a social life and spend the weekends holed up in the library (my best guess) but it doesn't take away from the feeling that sometimes I'm not doing all that I should be in my writing classes.

I'm bad at being sick. I'm needy, whiny, want someone to tell me when to take DayQuil next, need someone to bring me food, blah. I was in bed for the good portion of the day yesterday and slept for more than I thought humanly possible. But today is slightly better. I was actually function-able. And got some reading done for class. And emerged from my cave (aka my apartment/room) and walked to the commons. Jordan is coming over to make dinner with me, and I see an early night in my future. I have not seen the Blind Side yet... I know, I know, and it is newly on ON-Demand! So kettle corn and a movie sound deliciously perfect. A side of Ny-Quil and I'll be sleeping like a baby :)

VEGAS.

2010-04-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

Of course the first time I go to VEGAS would be 3 weeks before my 21st. Regardless, it was a blast! Our whole sorority made the 5hr trek out there for formal last weekend and it was nothing but funnnn:) Well minus some technical difficulties on Friday night...haa.

We camped Friday at a camp site in Lake Mead (1/2hr from the strip) and then Saturday stayed at CEASAR'S PALACE. Friday was a little bumpy... we got a little lost trying to find the entrance to the camp site. We couldn't use Navi (my usual life saver) because we didn't have an exact address for the site SOOO we ended up driving in circles and all became so punchy it was kind of ridiculous... Jordan and I carpooled with Jackie and Bret (and left Redlands a little later than planned...boys + McDonalds = time crunch) so we ended up not getting there until 845pm. Sunset was a 7pm. And it was windy. So, needless to say, we set up the tent in very dark and windy conditions, with cell phone lights and a headlamp to help us to see what we were doing/where we were. After we set up Jackie and Bret's tent, aka 40min later... we were not in great spirits to repeat the maddening process. So instead, Jordan and I opted to sleep in my car. I never knew you could push back the seats and lay horizontally in my trunk (learn something new every day...) And we were all so starving at this point, if we made the boys wait any longer to go and get food I think they would have just walked back to Redlands from Nevada. Actually I'm pretty sure of it... OH and all the food I brought for dinner could not be cooked because since we got there so late, the fire was about to die and there was no more charcoal for the BBQ's. Mom and I bought yummy mexican at Trader Joe's for dinner so I was annoyed it wasn't going to get eaten.

SO we all piled back in the car in search of fast food. Jackie and I decided upon Jack in the Box... low point for sureee. And the boys wanted to go to the grocery store since they already had McDonalds earlier. So while the boys ran into the store to get food Jackie and I ate our healthy Jack in the Box in the parking lot, food has never tasted so good.

The boys show up 15+ minutes later with two plastic bags; two boxes of cereal and one gallon of milk. I think you can guess what happened. The meal quickly turned into "THE CEREAL BOX CHALLENGE" and both completely finished a box of cereal each.... eating out of red cups.

Jackie and I were equally horrified. Bret was close to spewing LIFE all over the interior of my car. That will be the last CBC (Cereal Box Challenge) I will be holding in my car.

SO Friday night marked the first night I've ever slept in my car. We made it cozy with beach towels, a sleeping bag, sweatshirts, and one pillow (the one I brought...) But against all odds it was pretty cozy if I do say so myself...

Saturday morning we woke up to what I thought was yet another earth quake... but no, it was only Bret shaking the car, letting us know he was awake. It was 7:35am. Thanks, Bret.

After everything was packed up, we hit the Southwest Diner for some breaky. Hilary came to din with us as well. We were all needing some sunshine, the pool, a real bed, and drinks quickly. But the little diner was cute and a nice place to stop.

After some much needed nourishment, we were off to the strip! Ceaser's Palace was incredible, it looked just like the movies!! We couldn't check into our room until later so we took advantage of the pool and laid out, got some yummy drinks, and soaked up the sun. Afterwards, we checked in and started getting ready for the night. We realized around 3pm that we hadn't eaten since 830am so the boys decided we should make use of the carne asada we didn't use last night... I said we don't have any means of cooking it.... They started looking around the room... I said whatever you're thinking, NO.... They grabbed the cooler and the iron (the iron you use to iron clothes...) and they were in the bathroom before I could say more. Once the room started smelling of delicious Mexican food I had to bring my camera in to do some investigating. This is what I found...

So Friday's Dinner turned into Saturday's late-lunch. They did get a few laughs out of us girls and the pictures are pretty priceless...

Saturday night was dinner, drinking, & dancing in the suite Delta rented out for the night... the view was incredible, the music was good, and the atmosphere was perfect. Afterwards we walked the strip... so cool!! :)

oohhhh vegassss...

it's really hard to take a serious picture with him because all he does is make me laugh...

That's my Vegas saga... it was one for the books!

Productive morning: Check!

2010-03-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well, after an exhausting 24+ hours that I thought would never end... my baby (finally..!) WENT ACTIVE!!

She's not a baby anymore but she's my forever little and I love her!♥ She worked so hard these past 6 weeks and it all paid off. Congrats Molly!!!

Last night we went to dinner with Abbie's parents, they were in town from St. Louis. Holly, Hilary, LJ and I made their usual party of three into a party of seven and it was a blast :) We went to Romano's and had delicious Italian food, hit the spot!

I didn't stay out too last night night because I had a lot to get done today before tonight's fesitivties... GIRL TALK (a band for those who are unfamiliar) is coming to campus for Spring Fest tonight!!! And therefore, "sunday homework night" is non-existent.

My productive day thus far included: laundry, contraction of a resume (I'm getting old apparently), cleaning, homework, uploading pictures, and blogging. Woo!

Thursday marked a very special day for me... ta-da!

ONE MONTH UNTIL MY 21ST!!!! :)

Which as you can tell I'm kinda excited about...

My familia is in town as well.. well, minus Austin who is in Tahoe with his friend.. booooo. BUT Megan brought Trudy, who I lovveee, so she can be his replacement. They got in yesterday and I'm going down to see them Tuesday for Dad's birthday!! :)

That's all for now... oh! when writing my resume, cover letter, etc. this morning I stumble upon a beautiful quote about writing that I of course, want to share, by James Arthur Baldwin.

"You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can't, but also knowing that literature is indispensable to the world... The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way ... people look at reality, then you can change it."

In the works

2010-03-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is just something I am working on for my poetry class. We were told to write a prose poem and although I am somewhat unfamiliar with the form, I was intrigued by the change in format. Here is what I came up with:

Angels Can’t Bowl

She was a daddy’s girl but never knew it because at three her daddy turned into an angel and at three, children don’t quite understand angels. They are more concerned with Sesame Street and the Zoo. She looks at me with the eyes I gave her, round as blueberries and as deep as sometimes I felt the hole that lives inside me. I try to explain. Angles are like Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny. Her blue eyes get bigger and she seems to understand. In Kindergarten, she comes home with a drawing of Steven: a stick figure with a Santa hat and an Easter basket. I tear up in the carpool lane and when we get home, I put the picture on our fridge. In first grade, my brother goes to Daddy Bowling Night and holds her hand in the concession line. She says she was okay with him coming instead of her dad because she knows angels can’t bowl. In second grade, I go to kiss my sweet girl goodnight and find her under the covers of her bed, fragile limbs squeezing the life out of her stuffed polar bear. I put her in my lap and stroked her hair and make “shhhhh’ing” noises. She says a boy from her class told her Santa wasn’t real, and if Santa wasn’t real, were angels? She asked him, and he laughed and called her a baby for believing in those kinds of things. So if angels weren’t real then that meant her daddy wasn’t an angel, he was just dead. And the breath washes out of me in one quick swoop and I cling to the tattered edge of her blanket and stare into the eyes we share. I haven’t gotten to the chapter in my parenting book that explains how handle this moment. So I just hold her and rock back and forth and after a while when we both stop crying and I think she is asleep, I find my voice. “You were such a daddy’s girl.”

Green Beer and ANDY RODDICK!

2010-03-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend was busy busy, and I am paying for it now: exhaustion has officially set in... BUT I wanted to share some pictures and dish about my latest happenings! Friday was my roommate's Aimee's 22nd birthday and so Friday we celebrated outside in the sun :) Saturday Delta had a car wash to raise money for our Formal in VEGAS!!! I don't know if I've posted about our upcoming festivities in Vegas, have I? Well in two weeks we will be hitting the strip and turning the city upside down with 80 girls ready to make it one for the books. Oh my....

But I've gotten distracted, so we had a car wash Saturday and raised more than $500 and then Saturday night was Green Beer. It's an annual all-school party the Birds throw every March, the weekend after St. Patty's day. They got an amazing DJ from LA this year and it was by far one of the best nights I've had this semester. Our whole pledge class (minus Mary!) pre-partied together and it has been ages since we were all able to be somewhere, all of us at the same time. I love these girls so much and we were all so emotional being back together again, The Token Ten. 2 years ago and we were little freshmen running around figuring out the in's and out's of college and now here we are, just registered for fall classes as SENIORS and I'm looking back on it wondering how the heck time went so fast. Now I kind of get it when everyone says enjoy college, it goes too quickly. I'm just trying to soak it all in and enjoy the rideeee =) Hands down.

salzyy loveee

♥spr. p class 08' 4everr

Without time to recoup, Sunday Jenna and I took off to Palm Springs for the Indian Wells tourney. We were merely yards from Andy Roddick (OMG OMG OMG) who unfortunately lost to Ljubicic (from Croatia) It went into two tie-breaks and was an amazing match but we wanted Andy to own him (& take off his shirt, etc.) haha. And we watched the women's final as well, Jankovic beat Wozniacki pretty easily. Anyways, it was a perfect sunny day and it was so good to catch up with Jenna... we had a blast (hot dogs and kettle corn included!) :)

(jenna wanted people to know she's not naked, she's just wearing a tube top...) :)

♥

YES, I am alive...

2010-03-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

it's just junior year thats killing me!

Not killing me in a bad way, just in a crazy/busy/hectic way. Today was the first day I really felt like summer (or may term for that matter...) cannot come soon enough. It is gorgeous out and I got a sunburn from just eating my lunch outside. I hope the sun is here to stay because I can never get enough :)

Updates:

-mom and Jen and Shannon just left from a weekend in Palm Springs watching the tennis touney. Jenna and I are headed down there this sunday to watch the finals (for the second yr in a row) and I am so excited to spend some good quality time with her! San Diego is too far away for me to see her as much as I want...

-last Friday our pledges put on a date night for us... Beach Blanket Babylon. It was so much fun!

LJ, Holly and I

Jackie!

big ♥ little

Jordan and I ...yes I made us matching cups :)

-Saturday we had PRESENTS! This is a big day for the pledges... they get in black dresses and we go to the park to take pictures, have dinner, and then they put on a dance in front of all of Greek Life...

Molly!!!

big ♥ little

family :)

and of course, two girls I absolutely could not live without...

AFterGlOw was Saturday night... another festivity in and of its self. In a nut shell its been a busy week! I was the chair (along with Alyssa) of Presents so we had to plan the whole dinner, make the bouquets, (I found I have quite the green thumb... haha) and make sure everything ran smoothly.

I am excited for this weekend, St.Patrick's Day "Green Beer" that the Birds put on. And if this sun stays just as beautiful then I might become a very bad student and be forced to play hooky.... we'll see ;)

I knew this was going to happen...

2010-03-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Our last night in Salzburg we all sat around and tried to wrap our heads around the fact that the countdown to real life had officially become real. Countless train rides, treks down the Monchsberg, hours spent on our trusty charter buses showing us everything Greece and Italy had to offer. Class periods, concerts, and "Ava lunches." Zimmer 3, skiing in Switzerland, and wine with the Eiffel Tower as our backdrop. And now it is all left to pictures and our memories to rehash the months and adventures that seem more and more surreal upon on arrival home.

This reminiscing started when I found my bag of every ticket stub, postcard, concert program, coaster, and funny drawing I collected along the way. It will all eventually make its way into a scrapbook (one of my many summer projects.) Maybe once it's all organized and laid out on pages it won't all seem so messy and hard to recall the small details. That is the part that scares me the most. The forgetting part. I had so many firsts in Salzburg. I met so many people that have somehow managed to weave their lives into mine even after we closed our Europe chapter. I know I appreciated Europe when I was there, I know that. I can't say I didn't, I have too many posts that say 'I know this won't last forever, so I have no choice but to soak it all up.' But my mind plays tricks that I can't help and I find myself second guessing how much I truly understood what last semester gave me. Independence. Perspective. A new relationship. Best Friends. Understanding. Self-confidence.

Maybe just for me, sending this out into the cyber abyss, reassures me that it was all real and it wasn't just some crazy dream.

dear salzburg, i miss you ♥

March, where did you come from?

2010-03-01T16:44:00.000-08:00

It is officially March and I am home. A great feeling really. The clouds are so comforting, I just want them to wrap me up like a blanket and let me take them back to school with me :) Yesterday was a surprisingly sunny day. Not warm, but sunny. I don't know what it is about the sun in Washington but every time it makes an appearance in these usually dreary months, it feels like a gift. You make not see it for a few weeks so you better make the most of it, kinda thing. Even though I enjoy the sun on a more regular basis down south, I don't thank the sun for granted here.

I got to see Anna yesterday who was in town from New York! I was very excited because my spring break never overlaps with anyone else's so it was nice to catch her on a weekend home! We walked chambers in the sunshine and I was actually getting hot in pants and t-shirt!

Today Mom, Hank and I hung out. We took Hank to the dog park over the weekend and it was hilarious to see him jumping and running around with the other doggies. He is a ball of energy thats for sure. No wonder Mom talks about him like he's a fourth child, he is!

Last night the Kaiser's came over for dinner and I was so excited because I hadn't seen them since AUGUST!!!! And I'm so glad we found the perfect night to catch up =) those kids are growing up wayyyy too fast! :(

Today Mom, Kristy, and I walked to Starbucks... yes, we made it. But it was pretty scary out there in ghetto Lake-hood. No sidewalks and blind corners. Hmmmmm. Tonight Jackie is coming over and we're watching the season finale of the Bachelor. If he picks Vienna I don't even know what I'll do....

On the agenda:

-haircut!

-the hunt for a stellar formal dress...

-printing out abroad pictures for (still-blank) walls

-Thursday: Kelley/Iverson FRENCH dinner, yes pleaseee =)

-shopping for boring things like shampoo/razors/etc.

-seeing ronette!

-bubble bath... mmmm

-quality familyyyy time ♥

HOME tomorrow!!

2010-02-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

It is home sweet home in less than 48 hours :) and it could not have come at a more perfect time! Spring break officially starts at 4pm today and I am looking forward to a week of nothing. Although the Tacoma forcast isn't exactly calling my name... the clouds are not stopping me from be so so so excited to sleep in my own bed, eat homecooked food, and watch family movies :)

This week was a little stressful, and if anyone had any doubts I'm here to tell you that PMS is real, and I was struggling. Ha. BUT all better. My family is lucky they didn't have to deal with me as of a few days ago. Blahh.

I did some laundry yesterday and am only carrying-on so I don't really even need to pack until tomorrow. Ahhhhh I'm getting so excited!!! I haven't really let myself get excited about it until this morning because I've just had so much to do but I'm only a class away from a much needed BREAK.

two kiddos I'm very excited to see... ♥

Turning over a new leaf...

2010-02-21T23:00:00.000-08:00

...A TEA LEAF!

Ok, I just thought of that witty title on the walk home so forgive the cheesy pun, I personally thought it was hilarious. But I may just be a little overly exhausted from 3+ study hours in Barnes&Noble and a meeting that went from 6:45-9:30... yeah....

But going back to my title, I'm all about tea these days. Currently I have three types on my shelf and I will take the opportunity to describe each now.

STASH Peppermint Tea

*perks: caffeine free, smells like candy canes

TAZO Organic Chai Tea

*perks: extremely flavorful, cinnamon-y, don't leave it to steep too long!

GOOD EARTH Tea

*perks: just call it Christmas in a Cup! caffeine free, spicy & delicious (shout out to Lizzie for turning me onto this treat)

I'm also going to throw in my new secret love for Lipton Hot Spiced Cider. I steel packets of it from the commons daily and don't feel bad because the food there is way over priced. Anyways, it's kinda strange how much I loveeee this cider because I detest apple juice (the cider is very apple'y) BUT some loves you just can't explain.

Little packets of heaven....

I know spring might be nearing but I'm clinging to these hot steamy cups and don't know if a change in season can part us :)

And with that, I say goodnight... ♥

TGIF!

2010-02-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

Thank. God. It's. Friday.

This week flew and I woke up thinking it was Saturday and pleasantly surprised that it wasn't.. it's Friday!! Tonight we have a function with the football team, "Delta Bowl" it's jersey themed and there will be lots of games... should be fun. Hilary and I were just talking about how we never see the footballers out anymore so it will be nice to hang out with them.

Today was my supposed "productive day" and while it was a little less productive than I had hoped, I did get some things done!

Today is also special because JENNA! is visiting!!! She is all grown up now and living in San Diego so it was a special treat to see her. We realized we hadn't see each other since MAY and that is just NOT okay. She's coming to the function tonight so I will even get more of her soon :)

It is not too sunny today but there is no rain so I'm okay with it. The sunny days we definitely took advantage of and made it to the pool on Wednesday :) ahhh SO nice.

One thing I am not enjoying about Southern California these days? Earthquakes. These past few days we have had a ton of (although minor) earthquakes. And of course no one likes earthquakes, I hate them. After a scary one when I was 12, they have always freaked me out to no end. We had 3 in about the span of 10 minutes and it felt like there was a stamped upstairs. To make matters worse, the school sent out an email today addressing the abundance of earth shaking activity and told us to take all the necessary precautions... first aid kits, flashlights, whistles, and videos to watch. Not to freak anyone out though right? WRONG. I am panicked.

Other than tonight, this weekend is going to be relatively laid back. I have lots of work to finish before next week.

This time next week I will be boarding a plane HOME for SPRING BREAK!! 9 nights at home doesn't sound too bad to me...

OH ALSO: Happy belated birthday, Nana! ♥ I hope dinner was fun!

BiG SiS Reveal!

2010-02-17T16:12:00.001-08:00

it's pretty early but I'm all smiles!

surprise!!!♥

grandma, little, and BiG!

me with Molly's shirt :)

more crafting...

There is not enough time in the day!

2010-02-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

I feel like I am moving a million miles an hour and my updates are falling by the wayside...

Lots of things on my mind so here we gooo.....

1. My little officially knows who I am (Big SiS reveal was this morning... 6am...) and we had a fabulous breakfast together and she is incredible.

2. My real little sis is at THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS! Helloo..... jealous. I have gotten a few picture messages... of the opening torch and a clip of the curling games. Go USA!

3. That chem test I had last week we got back yesterday and I got a 99%. Umm yeah. It was new to me to. I told my mom I've never gotten higher than an 85% on any science related test and I was beyond excited!

4. As Community Service chair I am heading Body Image Awareness Week (March 29-Apr 2) and this year the President of LUST contacted me about collaborating on some new ideas. In the past, this week has been promoted with the same ideas year after year. Having a nutritionist talk, showing a movie like Miss Congeniality, some sort of activity like Self Defense, etc. Sarah (the head of LUST... Learning & Understanding Sexuality Together) and I met on Monday and had an amazing talk about what we want out of the week. What did I want to communicate to my peers about body image?

These were some things we discussed...

How brainwashing and influential the media is. How young girls cannot pick up a magazine like US Weekly or Glamour without "Tips for a better butt!" and "New ways to lose weight in 5 days!" splashed across every inch of every cover.

When really, truly analyzing and dissecting media influence in our country today, this is a disgusting reality to be hit with this:

The thinner you are, the better girlfriend you are, the better friend you are, the better wife you are, the better daughter you are, the better person you are. Your friends will envy you, guys will want to date you, younger girls will look up to you, and everything will be perfect.

It makes me sick to see my friends and sisters equate how good of a person they are to a number. Their self-esteem hangs on compliments, mirrors, and never being quite good enough. Since when did women become society's canvas? There is always room for improvement, write down what you eat (it helps), sugar and carbs... beware. In other words, drop a jeans size, obsess over every calorie, and deprive yourself to the point of insanity. All I see is bullshit.

Ok, quite a rant, and now I'm all worked up... I apologize. I'll finish my list (with pictures hopefully!!) :) tomorrow.

I'm calling it a night...

Busy busy bee!

2010-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy last few days and a busy few upcoming days, but things are getting crossed off checklists and progress is being made!

CURRENT HAPPENINGS:

- CHEM exam today (blah blah blah)

- Fiction workshop piece due to hand out tomorrow

- In my Child Development class today we are being visiting by Keira, a 1 1/2 yr old cutie who we get to observe :)

- ♥Valentine's Date Night♥ tomorrow night... our social chairs rented canopy tents and it's going to be catered by a local restaurant.. yum!

- (hopefully) a little premature spring cleaning

- Valentine crafts of sorts!

- Vagina Monologues tonight at 8pm... it is a student run performance that focuses on sexual awareness and women empowerment. One of my roomies is reading in it -- supposed to be very powerful

- coffee date with MY little on friday!!! =) ahhh so excited, she asked me yesterday and obviously has no idea yet that I am her BiG so it was super cute. yayaya

Movies on my list:

Valentine's Day,

It's Complicated,

The Blind Side (i know, i haven't seen it yet!!)

~ hopefully I can get some of the girls together this weekend and go see Valentines Day... looks SO cute ;)

I had to publish my (actual) little sister's hard work... miss SAC head decided to re-instate "Val-grams" this lovely mushy season and got SLAMMED with a million requests... here are some cupcakes she made with love. Just call her Paula Deen...

Where I want to be on Valentines Day...

I gave birth... and have a little sis!!! :)

2010-02-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

This was taken right before the new girls walked through the door on BID DAY. Holly sent me this picture and I love it because it captures exactly what I was doing at the time... FREAKING OUT! My big sis, Alyssa is on my left and Abbie is being creepy on the right. We got 17!!!! amazing new babies on Saturday and I couldn't be more excited!!!! My little sis name is Molly and I am OBSESSED with her!!!! She doesn't know who I am yet but she will in a few weeks.... I am so creepy and basically stalk her but thats only because I love her so much. She is a freshman and lives in Williams (like I did!) and is a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e. Here is picture Holly sent me of Molly on scream night...

♥

This is a picture of me and my angelette... they get "angels" who help them through the first two weeks before they find out who their big sis is. Holly asked me to be her little's angel... her name is Katie and she is the sweetest thing :)

our 17 newbies! (Molly's in the middle ;) )

It was a crazy, busy, exhausting weekend but an amazing one at that! We had a delta ritual at 6am this morning so I've been up since 5:30am and after two classes I'm feeling it...

happy monday! :)

January in pictures...

2010-02-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

January flew by but I did make sure to take a few pictures to document my fun. Classes are going well (well, maybe besides chemistry… haha) and I’m falling right back into the college routine. Its February and I cannot believe it. I decided late last week to go home for spring break which I am so so looking forward to. I only got 4 days at home between abroad and heading back to school so 9 nights of absolutely nothing is just what the doctor ordered!

Enjoy J

Goodnight...

2010-01-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Rush until midnight, up until 2:30am, awake at 8 for homework, and just got out of chem.

The rest of the day looks like its going to be sleepy time for me, so I'm saying goodnight! :)

ps: I met so many AMAZING! girls last night I know my little's in the mix somewhere...

"everything that is meant to be will be..."

THE SUN!! & What online quizzes say about you...

2010-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

For my Child Education class, this week we were given two websites to visit and take their online personality quizzes. We have to print out the results of these quizzes and write two papers discussing our results and what they said about us.
I just got done taking the quizzes and they were actually kind of fun. They asked things like how well you work with others, do you say whats on your mind, if you see a picture will you learn better, are you more driven by your head or your heart, etc. I found the results fun to read through and see what my answers said about me.
According to the Multiple Intelligence Project (MIP) I am Linguistic (Word Smart), Interpersonal (People Smart), and Intrapersonal (Myself Smart). I am considered an extrovert in social situations and an introvert when it comes to learning and writing, I empathize with others, enjoy discussion, and am driven by my emotions. I was the lowest in Logical (Number Smart) and Musical (Music Smart). Me and math? Umm yeah, haha. No big surprises.
RUSH is this week!! We have our informal rush tomorrow night... long night... 6-midnight (approx) and formal rush on Saturday. There are over 150 girls rushing and I am so excited to meet them all!! Being gone for a semester has limited my abilities to get to know any freshman girls whatsoever SO rush is extra important for abroad girls to meet&greet. I am excited (and giddy and anxious and STOKED!!) to announce that I am taking a little this semester. I know I said that last spring and things didn't work out but I'm here two semesters later and getting a baby is a must!!
Because we are a smaller sorority compared to huge universities (75 girls max) the undertaking of choosing a little sis is a big deal. Financially, socially, EMOTIONALLY! I have had the most amazing big sis and truly the best experience anyone could ask for, I only want to foster the same relationship.
Why coffee mugs make me feel domestic--
Hilary and I had this conversation (or a version of it) the other day and I wanted to share:
Setting: grocery store
me: "ok I need eggs... and trash bags, hand soap... butter, oh and milk?"
hil: "I feel like we walk around this place 10 times before we get everything we need."
me: "milk, yes I think I need milk. And coffee? Oh a coffee mug! This is so weird, I feel so domestic..."
hil: "a coffee mug makes you feel domestic?"
me: "yeah, I don't know. There are all these things I forget I actually have to buy now. Like butter and trash bags. Those things used to just be at the house. I never have had to buy a coffee mug."
hil: "yes, butter doesn't just appear, you do have to buy it."
me: "I know that... ugh, I know I'm forgetting something..."
hil: "Oh my God. We're going to be in here for hours..."

**ok, this might have been a 'you had to be there' convo... but it makes my point. I am feeling more and more domestic with necessary apartment purchases and am maybe starting to actually feel somewhat like a grown up... *gasp*

A little re-cap of my very fun filled weekend!
-driving 15min to Yucaipa and playing in the SNOW!!
-getting cable! wooohooo for the Food Network, TLC and the ToDaY Show =)
-going to an on-campus concert Friday night!
-running and being able to simultaneously enjoy palm trees and snow capped mountains. Redlands, you are just gorgeous and spoil us so much!
-eating dinner at Jackie's... homemade spaghetti? yes please!
-hanging out with some of my SalZy girls!!!
-being out and social and officially back on campus!! Nothing better...
Mr. Sun heard my prayers and responded accordingly. Thank you!! On this lovely Monday morning, people are out, sunglasses are on, and smiles are back :)

Productivity makes everything seem sunnier (when the sun is no where in sight...)

2010-01-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

It is not even 9:30am yet and I can say I've had a productive morning. I woke up at 8, read the last 30 pages for my fiction workshop this afternoon and then decided it was time to leave my warm, cozy nest. I made myself a cup of coffee, checked and sent the necessary emails, and made myself eggs and an english muffin. I finished reading at the kitchen counter while discussing the uncharacteristically icky SoCal weather we have been having as of late with one of my roommates and her boyfriend. Facebook, check. Then browsed the blogs I follow (...the number is growing by the way, much to my HaPpiNeSs!!) and now I am here, thinking a 'good morning' blog post would be the icing on my lovely morning.

Yesterday was also note worthy-- I did my laundry, put my clothes away, wiped down the bathroom counters, made progress on getting cable (the most inconvenient/stressful chore I've ever had to do) Jackie brought me over the new John Mayer CD :) and I went to bed relatively early.

It has been down-pouring (and I don't use that word lightly) for three days now and I am here to tell whoever it is who is responsible for these tears that it is time to stop. Californians don't know how to drive in the rain, let alone trenchal ones, so please don't make them try. Their drainage systems are not prepared for these volumes of water-- lanes are turning into lakes. And over half our student body do not own rain coats, so really, you're just getting everyone sick.

SO, Mr. Sun... I miss you. Please come back, Mr. Stormy is oh-so-grumpy and my happiness is very fragile when it comes to all things weather related. I only have so much left in me... xoxo, Lauren

Redlands Review

2010-01-20T13:22:00.001-08:00

The submission deadline is only two days away and I finally decided to submit two pieces this year to the Redlands Review. It is a literary magazine made up of students work and is published in early May. It's mostly for upper class, weird.. I guess that means me now. But anyways, here they are. It's a long shot, but I thought it would be fun. They're not too long, don't worry! :)

Hope in Dirt Floors

She studied the street to understand

Against the barbaric backdrop

That keeps its people kept,

The secrets that weigh above

The trees’ sway,

Native eyes searching

A quilt of patches

Brilliant around the edges.

She stood apart and

Needed to. The blanket was unraveling

And promise of better or

Heat would help that wound.

Mosquitoes and dirt floors,

Prayerful knees, soreness

That creeps up her back

Where she carries her babies.

Not standing around, no. No

Vision she, nor hope in dirt floors,

Nor brilliance around the edges.

Landscape, Skewed

With and from you

The raw air

Darkly in love

A perfect word

Female deities

Climb ivy to the sky

To evade compromise

Lights streak

The mist clatters

Through elegance

Warm white pictures

Make memories a valley

After cocktails, petals

Bend to their shadows.

All things seek the center

Of discourse

This mirror mine

A week’s chill

Embraces the touch

Of the phenomenal world.

A little poetry is good for the soul

2010-01-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

In my poetry workshop we were given a piece, (maybe it's a chapter?) written by Rainer Maria Rilke, from Letters to a Young Poet. Rilke is a German lyricist and an art critic who was considered a modernist of his day (late 19th century) I am unfamiliar with his work but from this short excerpt we were given to read, I was struck by the validity of his words. No one has ever described the complexity of what kind of person it takes to be a writer, and his words resinated with me. I just wanted to share some words of wisdom from a man truly beyond his time.

"...write about what your everyday life offers you; describe your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind and your belief in some kind of beauty--describe all these with heartfelt, silent, humble sincerity and, when you express yourself, use the Things around you, the images from your dreams, and the objects that you remember."

All Settled!

2010-01-16T15:16:00.001-08:00

I finally remembered to take some pictures of my new little nook :) It's small and some of the walls are still blank but I looooove it. So nice to finally have a place to myself; I can lock the door, wake up early, dance around naked, and play whatever music strikes my mood... ♥

Things that I've done since being back:

- been a social butterfly!

- SUSHI.

- classes... a little wake up call that, no, I am no longer in Europe.

- sunshine!

- walking around in shorts and t-shirts, loving the place I have missed since May!

had to incorporate the twinkly lights :)

Change, our only constant

2010-01-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

It's that time again. Tomorrow classes start and my spring semester as a junior will begin. My room is all organized, moved in, and homey... with a great big thanks and lots of hugs to my mommyyyy. Who not only put up with a weekend of my anxious self almost making myself sick I was so nervous to get back BUT did it with a smile and helped decorate my room to the point where I don't want to leave it! HA! I'd rather just hang out in here all day and reorganize my cork board over and over again ;)

It is good to be back but overwhelming. Very overwhelming. Everyone sees you and wants to jump on you and smother you and ask you a million questions about abroad and all I want to do is get from my front door to the laundry room! But no complaints. None. I am SO happy. =)

"Yesterdays are gone

Memories distant past

Time to move on

Those moments have passed

A path to the future

Journey still unknown

Stumbling in search of clarity

Of seeds yet unsown

New beginnings

Full of prospect and dreams

With change comes great hope

And nothing's as clear as it seems

A new start beckons

Its calling your name

To ignore new beginnings

Would be such a shame

Opportunities missed

Loss of starting anew

Embrace new beginnings

As life's moments are few"

-leigh goessi

TO NEW BEGINNINGS...

Don't you just LOVE jetlag??

2010-01-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Being home is wonderful but the jet-lag I could do without. It is almost 630am and I have been up for 2 hours already… woohooo!

Today I get to see some of my absolute favorites, miss JACKIE and HILARY J ahh Jackie and I have been separated since September 1^st (!!!) not okay. I need my girls back :( SO—it’s a declared girls night. We are locking ourselves downstairs, watching trashy TV, eating candy popcorn, and catching up on the last 4 months of our lives. Sound amazing? I agree :) ♥

I know the day is just going to seem like eternity at this rate! Mom and I are taking Hank to the dog park, doing a little much needed shopping (I haven’t been in a mall in ages!) and getting last minute laundry done. I LEAVE TOMORROW for school! Blah! Definitely not ready to be on another plane, pack more bags, unload two storage units, and move into a new apartment. BUT mom is flying down with me so that will make things ten times easier!

The next time I post I will most likely be in sunny, warm Californiaaa =) I guess life’s not too hard…

NEW year, NEW layout!

2010-01-07T11:46:00.001-08:00

In light of the NeW yEaR, I revamped my blog :)

To focus on yourself is one of the most important things I have found--

for me, this year is all about setting small goals and appreciating the simple things.

I hope everyones 2010 is full of

FRESH STARTS,

continued health,

new beginnings,

& love.

2010-01-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

Around the world and back again

Grey skies have never looked so pretty... I am HOME!

I just got back from taking Hank for a jog, he has gotten so big! When dad brought him back home from the kennel I saw him in the kitchen and almost teared up! He is still SUCH a puppy (and I love that) I'm trying to spend a lot of time with him so he won't completely forget me when I leave again on Saturday :(

We landed in Seatac yesterday and walked off the airplane and I noticed.. ENGLISH. It has never been more of a comfort than to see it on signs and being spoken by all. So nice. We got home and it smelled like all I have missed. Light fixtures seemed weird, my own shower was AMAZING, I SLEPT IN MY OWN BED-- even though jet-lag has us all pretty mixed up. (I woke up at 3:30am and couldn't fall back asleep until 5... blahhhh) but all in all, it has never felt better to just be doing nothing.

Things I am looking forward to:

-going to the grocery store

-being in a car

-driving

-HD TV

-seeing JACKIE AND HIL :) :) ♥

-cooking, baking, being in a KITCHEN!

-Starbucks... whenever I want it!

-the rest of my wardrobe!!!

-SCHOOL!!!!

Recent book recommendations:

The HELP-- Kathryn Stockett : given to me by Mom, about black maids in the South during the 60's and 70's.

A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini : recommended to me by Liz, about Afghan women spanning from the 70's to as recent as 2003. Follows two women who deal with the severe oppression/time of war from the Soviet Union and Al Qaeda

**both I absolutely LOVED & were amazingly written :) Go read them!!

2010-01-03T15:42:00.001-08:00

Days 7-12--(or Egypt, Mallorica, 2010 & that place I have missed…)

Well I should have blogged right after Egypt but everything was crazy and I had so much to say I didn’t think my tired brain would do it justice.

Egypt was something you read about and see pictures of but never really ‘get it’ until you are standing on the sidewalk watching young girls with babies beg for money or toddlers walk around barefoot in piles of baking trash.

We were picked up at the port dock in Alexandria by three Egyptian men in a (sketchy?) white van. For the next 48 hours we were toted around through Cairo and Gyza and saw so much I felt like cattle being herded from one place to the next.

I don’t want to rattle off all the museums and mosques and places we saw because those are what pictures are for. To me, the most important part of our condensed trip to the Land of the Pyramids were all the things we saw in getting from point A to point B.

The countryside was incredible. So much poverty. Vast fields of underdeveloped factories. The women, out of the movies I’ve seen, all wrapped up in scarves and burkahs. I am reading A Thousand Splendid Suns right now and it is completely relevant to what I witnessed in Egypt. Although the book is set in Afghanistan, the women struggle with the same issues. It was almost eerie to watch those women covered from head to toe and know that behind all that there is a woman, maybe even as young as Austin’s age, who is living this world for life. I can’t put into words my amazement at the stark class differences. There is the upper class and the poor. And no one really in between.

On a lighter note, my absolute favorite part of the trip was riding CAMELS!!!! O M G, I LOVED IT J My Arab boy guide’s name was Omar and my camel was so nice (Megan’s was mean and kept growling…ha) but we rode them in the desert right outside of the Pyramids (they were in the background for all our pictures) and it was the coolest thing EVER. I couldn’t stop taking pictures. We weren’t harnessed in at all, they just told us to hang on and the camels swayed up, got on their front legs, and then bent their weird flamingo legs and we were UP!

I will totally put up pictures of our camel adventure when I can J

So that was Egypt, we did the Pyramid light show at night and that was neat too. We saw King Tut’s tomb, toured ruins, ate Egyptian food, bought scarves (but didn’t wear them on our heads) and SAW A LOT.

Mom, Dad, and I did get a little present from Egypt… a nasty bug! L BUT it didn’t take us out completely. Austin and Megan have stronger stomachs than us I guess, but it wasn’t fun. That might have been reason number two for not blogging earlier… blahhhhh.

I almost forgot... HaPPy 2010 to everyone!! I have some personal new years resolutions that will hopefully last to February (ha) but I rang it in drinking with my under-age-but-legal-in-international-waters little sister. Doesn't get much better :) I wish for a healthy and happy year for everyone I hold dear♥

Tonight is our last night on the boat. It has been a great “at sea” adventure but we are ready to say goodbye. We ported at Mallorica, Spain today and went MOUNTAIN BIKING! It was a gorgeous day and the island was beautiful. If I had more energy I would go into detail about our “bike tour” but I’ll just hit some high points. First off, they should have called it the “lake tour” or “mud/river tour” because that’s what we biked through. Think I’m joking? We were dressed and ready for a pleasant bike ride on pavement through trees and pretty Spanish countryside… instead we trekked through the SPANISH FOREST and biked (fell, laughed, peed our pants in hyperventilation, sweated, ran full speed into prickle bushes, soaked our shoes/socks in mud, etc…) Yeahhhhh. It was just a blast! Mom and I held up the caboose. What a hoot. Mom decided to wear her Coach shoes. Good call, Mom. My tennis shoes are sitting in the garbage as we speak. I’m looking at them right now, muddy and disgusting. I needed new shoes anyways (after a semesters worth of trashing them) but I didn’t think they’d go out with such a bang. Oh Mallorica…

I have to say I’ve been counting down the days to January 5^th. When I got to September 2^nd January felt a million miles away. A MILLION. Yesterday was month marker four for me. And home has never sounded so good as it has around the holiday season, but with this excitement comes mixed emotions of course. I am sentimental about leaving Europe. I am. I don’t know how to describe it because I WANT TO GO HOME but there’s a little part in me that wants to hang on to all the adventures and all the pictures I have stored away in folders on my computer.

I don’t want to forget. Maybe it’s the thought of putting a continent and a fairly large ocean between me and all those memories is what’s not sitting well. I couldn’t say. It’s the strangest feeling to be leaving something so indescribable and at the same time knowing that nothing will make me more happy than getting my old life back.

I am anxious for school. We have new girls in Delta and I want to love them and know them just as much as I know all my sisters. I’m really honing on my major and more so than years before, I am academically focused. I get my own room in a week, officially. I haven’t had my own room since I was a junior in high school and I know that will feel amazing. I have never lived more than a floor away from Jackie and Hil and now they are going to be a (however, short) walk. God, it will feel good to get them back.

Things are just going to be different in general. Salzburg opened a new chapter for me in a lot of ways that will carry over into school and I don’t know how things will play out. My feelings are bouncing around so much sometimes I feel like they are going to about swallow me whole.

It is January 3^rd. I will be home in two days. Home! Yes! Yes! Yes!

2009-12-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

Day 5 & 6: Rhodes, Greece – Cyprus

The island of Rhodes, Greece was very much similar to the coastal town, Nafplion I visited during the semester. We were there on a Sunday so a lot of the bigger shops were closed, but a few touristy streets were open and neat to look through. Rhodes is so small you could walk around the entire island in a day if you wanted to. We walked along the water for a while, some of the docked boats we passed had shells and sea sponges displayed in huge baskets for sale. The ‘evil eye’ is famous symbol for both Greece and Turkey. A lot of the bracelets they sell have the blue eye incorporated in their design and you see it everywhere. We passed a pretty (very Greek) church on our walk. There was a service going and we got to peek in while it was in progress—it was gorgeous on the inside. Candles lit the whole inside and they had two huge hanging chandeliers that lined the aisles.

We also found this really neat old castle that was pretty much still fully intact. You could see where the mote used to be and the cannons were still there, facing outwards—ready for attack. This is one of the few historical things Austin actually took interest in. The castle itself was huge, we didn’t go inside but we took pictures in front of the walls.

We had a very delicious Greek lunch. The restaurant was perched up on this balcony and it overlooked the whole square. You can immediately tell when a local family sits down verses one of our fellow cruise groups. A lot of the Greek folk are really nice—there is just a feeling you get in Greece that I liked more and felt more at home than Turkey. The sea seems to stretch on forever, the air smells like moss and salt, the streets are all hand-laid, stone by stone, making the compassion that these people have, virtually tangible. I don’t know, I’m rambling. I like Greece. A lot. Whether it be coastal or inland, it could feel familiar to the most stranger of strangers.

OH AND WE GOT THE BEST BACLAVA KNOWN TO MAN. OMG it was so good. We got traditional and this chocolate filled one. I could NOT stop shoving it in my mouth.

Cyprus is another story. It could have been our overly chatty tour guide, Rosemary, or the fact that she took us to archeological sites that made me feel like we were all in Middle School again, or it could have been what we were looking at in general, but I didn’t like it. The city was dirty, and I mean dirty. We drove through downtown and honestly, every apartment building and hotel looked, meh, about ten seconds from collapsing altogether. The shops were grungy and gross smelling and everything seemed dim. I don’t have a whole lot more to say. It’s an island half controlled by Turkey and half control by Greece. It switched to using the Euro two years ago. Its three main exports are wheat, olive oil, and wine. And they are proud members of the EU. Wooohhooooo, Go Cyprus.

Cyprus, I will give you this—the restaurant we ate at had incredible pizza. And I’m not a pizza person at all. So if anything, you’re little island is good for something.

Tomorrow morning marks our exploration into Egypt! We are staying overnight at a hotel and having a full two days to explore the pyramids, Cairo, and King Tut’s tomb. 48+ hours in Egypt… SO excited =)

Day 4: TURKEY!

2009-12-27T00:07:00.000-08:00

Our first port was a success… we got to explore Kudadasi, Turkey for the day! We took a 3-hr tour to an old excavated city 20 minutes outside of port. It reminded me a lot of the ruins we visited in Olympia and Athens. 90% of the city was completely excavated from the ground up, meaning only 10% was rebuilt/reconstructed modern day. The ruins were incredibly detailed and Mom and I were sitting there trying to imagine people back then spending hours and hours carving every outline and every symbol.

There are a ton of stray cats in Turkey—more than any other country I have visited, which was cute at first and then it was kind of gross. Austin made friends with them and Mom would get mad at him for touching the diseased things running around everywhere. There were even some circling our table when we sat outside at a café to eat. Their little beady eyes…Uggghhhghgh.

After the tour we walked around town. Megan and I bought charms for our charm bracelets Mom got us for Christmas. It had an Eiffel Tower charm already on it and we are supposed to collect one everywhere we go. Such a cool idea and Megan and I absolutely love them J

The little souvenir shops reminded me of every town we visited that relied heavily on tourism. The guys will stand outside their shops and tell you to come in their store: look at the pretty clothes, you want jewelry don’t you?, oh you’re so pretty—free price! Free price! It really doesn’t phase me anymore but Meg and Mom we wide-eyed, looking at Dad to protect us. Meg, Mom and I all got scarves (my umpteenth one) and the boys bought a few things too. Austin was set on trying the famous “Turkish Delight” (which only made me think of Chronicle of Narnia) but we got some and he actually liked it. It’s like a jelly-like substance that’s powered and not very appetizing looking. But I didn’t hate it.

The port and skyline of Turkey was incredible! It takes too much Internet brain capacity (apparently?) to upload photos but I will when we get home. When we were en route to board before 6pm the sun had just set, filling the sky with hot pink and orange. My camera could not do it justice but the attempt was there :)

Last night we went and saw this guy from Denmark do this magic show. He wasn’t too bad looking (ha) and actually really good. He had techno music and made a girl DISAPPEAR out of this box on wheels—crazzyyy. AND I WAS WATCHING THE GROUND AND SHE DIDN’T JUMP OUT SO IT REALLY WAS MAGIC. I am an official believer… ;)

Next stop: Rhodes, Greece!

Day 1 & 2 of our Holiday Cruise :)

2009-12-24T05:13:00.000-08:00

Day 1: Board/ Set Sail at 5pm—leave Barcelona

We got on board, got to our room, and settled in to “the boat lifestyle.” After a mandatory emergency drill where we stood in a single file line and watched crew members show us how to put on a lifejacket, we toured the 11 different floor of the boat and explored.

There are 2,500 people on the boat, 500 of them American. That leaves plenty of room for plenty of language barriers, but it’s been more entertaining than annoying. The 850 person crew represent over 60 countries and the boarders, over 50 countries. Every announcement made is first in English and then always followed by Spanish and sometime German.

Internet, we found, is hard to come by. And by hard to come by I mean, they take full advantage of charging as much as they want. You can buy packages to make it cheaper, and since I type these up in Word and then just paste them onto my blog, I am barely online for 5 minutes. It’s kinda nice because other than blogging and emails, I remain socially unreachable. My semester continues, huh? January 5^th will be quite the culture shock, that’s for sure.

Last night experienced high winds. Austin and I didn’t have a great time—we sat down in the dining room for our 830 seating and after a motion sickness pill and our salads, we were headed back to the room and passed out before 10. Megan, Mom and Dad were fine—Megan and Mom were more nervous about the rockiness, not sick from it. At one point in the night I was awoken from being hurled into the wall. That was fun.

Our room is very spacious for a cruise. We have a sitting area with a TV and couch. Megan, Austin and I share a room (Austin’s bed folds down from the wall) and the parents have a room. We have 2 bathrooms and it plenty of space to store our ungodly amount of luggage.

Last night before we left to see the nightly show before dinner, Mom, Megan and I played Banana scrabble J We had champagne courtesy of Nathan, our travel agent, and had LoTs of fun :)

Day 2: At Sea –Merry Christmas EVE!!! ♥

Today I woke up groggy from close to 11 hours of sleep. Anyone who knows me knows I really can’t take more than 8-9 hours, but that motion sickness pill KNOCKED me out. Austin was right there with me. We woke up starving since eating dinner was just not the in the cards for us last night. We ordered room service, had some delicious French toast and I headed off to my haircut. I haven’t had my hair cut in close to 4 months, needless to say I was due. It feels sooooo nice to have it healthy again, definitely a treat!

Megan and I spent the rest of the morning with our lattes playing Bananagrams outside in one of the sitting areas. We have a ton of British people on our cruise and were having a blast listening to them talk. Haaaa SO funny.

Austin and Dad went to play basketball and put-put golf. I told them to come get me for put-put because I LOVE it, but it was a little windy so hopefully we will play tomorrow.

It’s so weird that it is Christmas Eve. I really does not feel like it. They are playing lots of Christmas music, which makes me happy. Tonight they are showing The Polar Express, Megan and Austin and I are going to go :) We might rope Mom and Dad into it if they end up not going to a show at the same time.

Tonight we are eating at one of the restaurants on board. It’s a steak house and it’s supposed to be yummmyyyy. We are going to get dressed up and celebrate this special time of year. I don’t know when the next time (if ever) our little family of five will have another Christmas where it is just us. It is east to forget the “reason for the season” (--that’s from your blog, Tiffany J) so I try to make a conscious effort to remember. We are so lucky to all be healthy and happy and here. I am thankful. I hope everyone’s Christmas Eve is special and memorable. Merry Christmas from my family to yours♥

I wonder if Santa will find us in the middle of the Mediterranean…

Christmas Day will be at sea, and then the 26^th marks our first stop: TURKEY!

MY FAMILY IS HERE!!!!

2009-12-19T01:40:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting 3 months and 17 days for this day and it is

FINALLY here!!!

My family just landed, I just got off the phone with my Dad--words cannot describe my excitement... the five of us will be one happy family again :) I missed birthdays, Thanksgiving, college acceptances, and Austin's first Homecoming-- but spending a 'European Christmas' with all of them will surely make up for it.

"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together." ~Erma Bombeck

French Food Anyone?

2009-12-18T01:20:00.000-08:00

I would come back here for the food. Hands down, OMG!

Aidan and I spent the day wandering the snowy streets--

looked through the biggest department stores,

window shopped,

went to Angelina's for the best hot chocolate in Paris, (aka melted chocolate)

walked through the gardens,

went to the Christmas market

and rode the ferris wheel :)

For dinner? We had steak that would make any vegetarian break down. The restaurant, LeRelais de l'Entre'cote (LIZ I think this is where you guys went too??!!) doesn't have a menu, they just come to your table and ask you how you would like your meat prepared. I took this as a good sign. They bring out a small salad and then, not too long after, serve you steak perfectly prepared with a pile of french fries. Oh and wait. Once you finish they serve you again--more steak and fries. We split a bottle of wine and sat and ate and talked and enjoyed being warm and happy.

I mean, come onnnnnn.....

Snowflakes in Paris

2009-12-17T02:51:00.000-08:00

I wake up this morning to pretty white snowflakes gracing the wonderful streets of Paris. Officially the first snow here all winter! :) Aidan tells me I must have brought it with me from Austria. Maybe I have one of those gifts like the people in X-Men... Storm Girl, Wolverine, etc. I have yet to brainstorm a name though. Wow--I must still be reeling from exhaustion. Ha.

With the longest day of traveling OF MY LIFE behind me, I am looking forward to spending the next few days enjoying Paris at Christmastime before the fam flies in on Saturday!!

Life's not too bad...

**Just uploaded these pictures--a ode to my girls...

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be."

~Douglas Pagels

for what it's worth, it was worth all the while♥

2009-12-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in the Berlin airport, looking at six hour of “me” time with this lovely layover before I head to Paris. I officially said goodbye to Salzburg; the Monchsberg, my top bunk and Austria. I woke up and only had to throw a few things together in order to be “walk-out-the-door-ready” to catch my taxi that was picking me up at 9:15am. The girls had already left me; they were up bright and early leaving the house at 4:30am. So it was just me in our room. The bare walls and empty shelves kind of hit a nerve—as if Clorox wipes could simply erase months of everything we lived and breathed.

Time is such a weird concept. When you want things to just be over already, the days drag and each week seems a day longer then the last one. When you want more of it, someone is always there to hit the fast-forward button and you find yourself just trying to hang on.

We had our banquet dinner Monday night and our program director, Kevin, put together a slide show of the semester in a glance. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the Wintergarten when all the good times were splashed across that big white screen. That night was the most sentimental we got. It was emotional but it was actually good because we got it out of our system and had the whole next day to pack and clean and do those last minute things.

But standing in my room this morning I felt sad. It is always hard to say goodbye to somewhere you know you’ll never be again. I will never be in Zimmer 3 of the Monchsberg, sleeping on bunk beds with three of my sisters. Or in our group of 30—friends who have made more of a difference to me in three short months than a lot people have in years.

It makes me appreciate things. Appreciate the good times, people, & memories. We tagged the O’Malley’s bathroom last night—a Salzy tradition. It’s the background of my phone now and looking at it reminds me of the place in my heart I have made for Salzburg. Auf Weidersehen, it was fun.

Everything that I once thought important

Just got blurry and I can’t tell what is what.

Every time I see you I get butterflies,

Did I ever tell you that? --fall 09

Switzerland gives new meaning to "Winter Wonderland"

2009-12-14T01:49:00.000-08:00

Skiing in the Swiss Alps, anyone? What a better weekend to end my European semester. 12 of us night trained it over to Gridelwald, Switzerland where we spent two full days marveling at the snow and enjoying the powder:) Our hostel was incredible, we saved a ton of money by buying an insane amount of pasta to make spaghetti.. making good use of the fully stocked kitchen at our lodge! We got to our hostel close to 10am Friday morning and were geared up and on the tram up to the slopes by 11. Friday visibility was rough, it was snowing a TON but no one could complain. It made Saturday all the more sweet when the snow that was fogging up our goggles was nicely on the ground creating the powder of a lifetime. Incredible. I use that word a lot when describing my weekend adventures, don't I? ;) Well it was.

We trained it all day back to cozy Salzburg on Sunday--everyone was feeling it. Sore, broken, back aches, and bruises. We were quite the scene! There was really not enough Advil to go around, all of us were dehydrated and our bodies were mad. I had a minor spill on our second day, Saturday. We were trying to get over to this other gondola to take it up to this crazy bowl but somewhere between point A and point B I end up EATING IT, (yard sale is an understatement..) skis and poles everywhere, goggles and hat off-- I felt like I was going to be Redlands new paraplegic. Yeahhhh. Only minor injuries, though. Face scratched--turning into a super cute burn looking mark across my cheek and my neck doesn't really turn left. I know my family is reading this and wondering who in the heck is writing this since I am the definition of a fair-weather skier. I go down runs at my own pace, focusing more on my form than bombing it down a given slope. No need to fear, family.. I was trying to follow boys on snowboards going MOCK-10. Lesson learned: I don't go that speed.

Needless to say, that was my last run in Switzerland. I am lucky it didn't happen Friday or I would NOT be a very happy camper!

Well, what I am going to do every Monday now that I don't have epic weekend adventures to write about?? I am going to miss these trips down the Monchsberg to get internet, buying a cappuccino and spilling my heart out on all the places I've fallen in love with. (*sigh*) I guess I am just going to have to go back to blogging about Redlands-- boring old Southern California, classes, and sorority life. Just kidddiinngggg. But seriously, this thing is going to be wayyyyy less entertaining sans ski trips to Switzerland and the Eiffel Tower.

I just took my last final earlier this morning-- my fall semester Junior year is officially over (academically speaking.) Weird? Yes. But nice. These next two days are dedicated to packing and saying all those goodbyes I don't want to say. The nice thing is even though all 30 of us will never be in this setting again, I can see all the smiling faces I've gotten used to everyday day at school, around campus, etc. A comforting thought.

Here are some pictures of Switzerland. Gorgeous Switzerland, snowy mountain sides, cozy ski nooks and all.

one of my favorite girls. ever.

miss holly jo

I know I kind of look like a scary alien with that handkerchief over my face but I was without a neck warmer and in desperate need.

a picture's worth 1000 words...

♥

some of the group:) oh yeah, and that's a mountain in the clouds behind us, in case you were wondering ;)

3 months in Europe and I think I've figured out as much as I can at 20

2009-12-10T05:34:00.000-08:00

Ahh I just have so many thoughts bouncing around in my head I hope this post isn't too all over the place. Try to bear with me!

I have less than a week here and although I do have daily access to a calendar, I just realized this small fact yesterday. In other words, a lot of things just hit me. Examples? Sure. Maybe the fact that I wont be throwing on comfy clothes, walking downstairs to eat a buffet breakfast prepared for me, and then climbing many flights of stairs up to class with a cup of coffee in hand. Or maybe just the "free pass" I've clung to as my excuse to be more or less MIA from my life as of August 2009. I don't know if the reality check that will come promptly on January 5th will be sweet or anxiety ridden.

Jim asked us in our last EU class.... after all of this, these three months of traveling, exploring, learning, and absorbing, if we could chose, where would we live? Europe or the US?

Hands were instantly raising and people were throwing out their responses... Europe is more accepting, language barriers are hard, trains suck, they are so green in Europe--why can't we be like that? etc. But I couldn't collect my thoughts fast enough to answer the question. After a day and a half of "collecting" I came to the absolute 100% conclusion that I would never live in Europe. It has been one of the greatest gifts to come here and get thrown (literally) into a lifestyle that is so different from the one I grew accustomed to for 20 years it is just funny.

But I miss home too much. I miss the open spaces and the universal language that is English. I miss Starbucks and my car. I miss cable and the way Washington smells after a good rain. I miss running on the golf course and showering in a space I can fully turn around in. I miss the 70% of my wardrobe I couldn't bring over here. And I miss school. Oh how I miss school. The comfort of campus, frat row, and weekends of commons brunch.

We did teacher/course evals today and it was hard for me to fill out Jim and Eva's because I honestly couldn't find the right words to accurately express how much they've done for me. I did Europe for three months and they made it what it was. Jim's "ask me anything" mentality is something to be admired. He wants nothing more than to give his students everything they need to make smart decisions and make the bad ones too. I can see why he had six kids, he must be one of the best Dad's in the world.

Eva is just something else. Her maternal instinct is something that is never too far... whether its telling us about the dangers of Greece and the creepy Italian men or what she's in the kitchen cooking. She always has the most nurturing demeanor. Sometimes I just want to get up and hug her. Her passion for teaching is something that you can't learn. She just is. More than quizzing us on our daily German vocab, she above all else wants us to understand and appreciate the language as something to be respected. So many Europeans know English and know it well, it's her way of extending a hand to us Southern Californian students who speak broken Spanish after six years of classes, minimum.

Our last classes were sentimental for me. I feel like I've just survived some kind of intense internal battle with myself and I'm realizing that no, the world did not come to an end, I just came out of it a little stronger and slightly better off. It's funny what three plus months away from home can do to you. When you're in the middle of it, it is more a day-to-day struggle and you don't really realize each day's impact. But now, ten days into December and its pretty apparent that whatever you want to call the last three months, I will look at it as nothing less than a huge piece of me I didn't know I was still looking for.

It's weird because at 20 I feel like I kinda get things. I understand people, relationships, and the importance of staying true to yourself. I get what happens when I screw up, tread unfamiliar waters, and find myself flailing. Before, I think during hard times when the "flailing" occurs I was half expecting to be saved. I think a little time on my own taught me that often times, no ones going to be there. Not in a dramatic "no ones going to be there" way but in a realistic one. Unfamiliar waters are nothing more than adventure, and if anything, I will always love Europe for showing me that.

I am ready to see my family, come home and continue my junior year. I think I've found my path; and I'm excited to get a little messy and see what happens. ♥

So the post right below this one is my somewhat tardy tribute to Amsterdam. I have had that blog typed out and ready to hit send for two days now but because of this crazy semester coming to an end things have been hectic: enjoy! :)

Did you know there are more bikes than people in Amsterdam?

2009-12-10T05:02:00.000-08:00

Amsterdam was put on the calendar right around Thanksgiving, in other words a late addition to our semester’s allotted travel weekends, and I’m SO glad we did! I had no expectations for Amsterdam. I couldn’t really picture it in my mind and really went into it thinking it will be fun to say I’ve been there.

WELL... I’m definitely glad I can say we spent three full days exploring Utrecht (city outside of Amsterdam, 10 min Intercity-train ride) and the Red Light District of crazy AmStErDaM! Thursday night we took the night train into Amsterdam and arrived Friday morning. From there we caught a taxi to Merril’s apartment (Holly’s friend who did a year exchange program in Michigan with her their junior year of high school.) Merril was nice enough to let us stay with her Friday night in her ADORABLE apartment, I felt like it was straight out of Bridget Jone’s Diary—honestly! The cutest thing ever, she showed us around, took us to the Anne Frank house, showed us Amsterdam’s beautiful canals, and showed us some local hotspots her and her friends hang out at. It was so nice to be taken around by a local—I feel like we’ve been lucky, Aidan in Paris, Liz and Hil in Barcelona… and now Merril in Amsterdam!

Saturday was a little wet and cold but we still had a lot of ground to cover. We got some much needed sleep and woke up to Merril brewing us tea and making plates of bread and cheese. We grabbed some coffee and took the train into downtown Amsterdam. Saturday was also December 5^th which is a big holiday for the Dutch—Sinterclaus (sp?) which is as big a deal to them as Christmas is to us, but more so for little kids (they also celebrate Christmas) So anyways, Merril had to say goodbye to us on Saturday but we were fine on our own, learned how to navigate the bus system and get by marginally on our own. Saturday night we stayed in a hostel right on the main strip called Bob’s Youth Hostel. We were put in an all girls room painted bubble gum pink and met these two really nice girls from Australia. There were lockers for our important stuff and the beds were clean and everything seemed nice, our 22E each included breakfast the next morning.

Saturday night we walked around the Red Light District... ummhmmmm the one where the girls stand in the windows with red fluorescent lighting in lingerie and people just walk up to their window and order! Yup! REALLY INTERESTING to watch this legalized form of prostitution. A lot of the girls were disgusting looking too so I just don’t even know how it works. Blahhhh. Gross but very eye-opening. Oh the land of "everything goes." By everything they mean everything. The only restriction really is that you have to be 18+ to go into bars and “coffee shops.” Coffee shops are not where they sell coffee (ha ha) they sell weed. You can get it in many forms, cupcakes (they call these Space Cakes), spiffs (a mixture of weed and tobacco) or weed that you can just buy by the ounce. VERY DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE. To grow up learning about drugs in school and have them forbidden all my life to taking an overnight train and arriving on a different planet. Literally.

That night we were in our hostel relatively early, and woke up the next morning with more to see. Our train wasn’t leaving until 5pm so we had the whole day to explore. I really wanted to rent bikes and take them all around the city but it was too rainy on Sunday to do that so instead we took the intercity bus to the Van Gogh Museum. The museum was really cool—but Starry Night was on tour!! Or something? Anyways, it wasn’t there which was kind of sad but I still saw some pieces I really connected with.

Seascapes near Les-Saintes-Marines-de-la-mar was one of my favorites of Van Gogh. I also liked Wheatfeild under the clouds. And La Corniche near Monaco was a really pretty one done by Monet.

There was also this really cool coffee shop called The Bulldog that we went to a few times and a lot of people from years back told us to go to. The bulldog is Redlands mascot so students will by shirts from the coffee shop and wear them around school, kind of fun. Anyways I got a grey one and LJ got a white one. They will always remind us of our visit to lovely Amsterdam J

what in the world would I do without them?

pretty canals... even if it was a little dreary!

I AMSTERDAM... modern art galore!

Merril... our amazing host/tour guide!!

when in amsterdam...?

Cheers to 21 years...

2009-12-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

To my best friend,
Who has been there through it all—
Even when I forgot to call,
Or accidentally kicked her in the face with that soccer ball.
It was a growing up of many firsts,
From 3rd grade poetry readings, to bad movies, to blackberry picking.
From braces, to boys, to proms.

We collected many friends along the way,
Some dear and others that may have strayed.
But we kind of always knew it would just be
The two of us.

I sometimes think that if we never met I would somehow strangely never feel completely whole. I would look at the people with best friends and be jealous that they found theirs.
We got it right at the age of eight—I guess I’m one of the lucky ones.

You were there to make me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry,
And you were there to call that one girl in math class a whore.
What else could a girl ask for?

So here’s to you, my Lizzie:
to your passion for life,
your bubbly,
sarcastic,
and genuine being;
my other half.

To a childhood I wouldn’t change the world for.
21. Wow.
Here’s to 21 more…♥

Let the Countdown Begin!

2009-11-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

37 days until I land in beautiful Sea-tac airport. 37 days. 5 weeks. Even though it will be 3 ½ months on Thursday since I got to Europe, 5 weeks just sounds like an eternity. However, close to 3 of those weeks are going to be spent with my four favorite people so I guess it’s not like the countdown I’m used to.

The girls and I are about to start our “3 month” lists… those should be quite entertaining. This is our last week of German, our final oral examine is Wednesday and our written is Thursday. German by far has been our hardest class here, mainly because it was so foreign to all of us. But its also been the most rewarding. I can pick out words I understand walking through the streets, I can order dinner fairly well off a menu, and I’m finally starting to see the light when it comes to street signs. (scary thought that it took a couple month, huh?)

I get the second installment of the swine flu vaccine tomorrow. Blah for shots but yay for almost being swine-free! It hasn’t really been too big of a deal here but I think that is in our favor because the vaccine was pretty easily accessible.

What else? The familia spent the weekend up at Crystal and I was very jealous. Mom sent me a picture via text but it just wasn’t the same… but I guess I’m skiing in Switzerland in a few weekends so I can’t complain!

On another note-- a birthday shout out to my favorite brother:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN!!!!

I cannot BELIEVE you are turning 15 and can officially enroll in Drivers Ed! Thinking of you behind a wheel is a very scary thought… I pretty much figured you’d be in 6^th grade forever. BUT if I’ve learned anything it’s that you can’t pause time. I hope you have a great day today and I wish I was there to see you open all your video games… I’m assuming that’s still the theme, yeah? J I love you so much, you better not be taller than me when I see you next!

♥

Thanksgiving Weekend Fun :)

2009-11-29T03:15:00.000-08:00

I could not have asked for a better weekend! I was worried at first, being away from home and all, that I would be fighting the homesick bug all day. But with the exception of a few lonely moments, we had quite the celebration!

Wednesday night Hilary got in around 10:30 and we all gave her quite the welcome. Three screaming girls running at the sight of taxi lights? It had been over a month since I had seen her but it had felt like much longer. Ahhh!! We took her out to O’Malley’s for a drink and came back relatively early because we knew traveling sucks the life out of you.

Thanksgiving morning I woke up to the smell of food—turkey, spices, apples, & cinnamon. It was such a comforting feeling. The only downside was that we had two classes in the morning—literature and our EU seminar, but Jim let us out early J By noon we were embracing all that is Thanksgiving and being lazy in our room, painting our nails and gossiping until our feast set for 2:30pm.

Eva worked all week to make us (50 people total) the feast we DEVOURED. Turkey, cornbread stuffing, cranberry, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, and salad with homemade dressings (they don’t really have salad dressing over here, fyi) Hil and I sat with LJ and her family, so much fun! They left for Innsbruck for the weekend and I know they had a blast! Anyways, the meal was sooooo good, thinking back on it still makes me full. We had apple pie for dessert and by 4:30-5ish everyone was rolling out of there…

After our delicious meal we bundled up and took Hilary down to the Christmas market that Salzburg is famous for. I have plans to blog a whole entry on this place (pictures included) so I won’t go into too much detail but it is one of the most special places I’ve ever been. Hilary got a few presents, we both tried some Gluvine (and she got some of the Gluvine teabags for her Senora) and we wandered around, mainly in hopes to walk off our food coma.

That night we went out with the entire group, showed our guests other fun Salzburg bars and introduced them to Kaserkriner (cheese filled sausage that you get from this white van down by the river… sounds sketchy but delicious/deadly.)

Friday we were rallying to get up and catch our train to Munich BUT we ran into a few roadblocks, aka we were all not doing too hot, so we botched the trip altogether and Hilary got a day more of Salzburg than she anticipated.

Friday and Saturday were honestly two of the most relaxing, fun couple of days I’ve had in a while. Abbie and I took Hilary everywhere—ate at cute cafes, went shopping on the Getreidegasse, walked up to the fortress, drank hot spiced cider, bought Mozart chocolate balls, walked near the river and over the lit up pedestrian bridges, and loved every minute.

It was so nice to have Hilary here for the whole weekend. I got to smother her, had some much needed alone time, and all in all got a nice break from the craze of constantly traveling.

We only have two more weekends left here; next weekend we are headed to Amsterdam and the following one, skiing in Switzerland. After that I pack up my last three and a half months here and head to Paris, where I will see Aidan for a few days and meet up with the family. From there our Christmas adventure will begin—my first cruise! to exotic countries I am ecstatic to visit. On Friday it was three weeks until I see them—so now it’s officially 19 days. Our reunion= very overdue :)

Happy Thanksgiving from Salzburg!!!

2009-11-25T08:31:00.001-08:00

So, Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I am kind of far away from home. And by kind of I mean on a different continent. 1,000+ miles away. How weird?? It’s my first Thanksgiving away from home and I am definitely going to miss Washington, snuggling up to a fire, eating too much delicious favorites, and being around the people that make me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. I feel so removed from everything; it’s the strangest concept to think that even though I’m not home, time doesn’t stop. Things move on with or without me, and that’s just how it works.

Hilary gets in tonight and I know that just having her will give me a little bit of familiarity. Ahh how MUCH I miss that girl is just crazy! But in only a few hours she’ll be pulling up in a taxi ready to get smothered by me. I get her until Sunday, were going to Munich Friday night and visiting Dachu, the German concentration camp. We have wanted to make time for this all semester and this weekend seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Christmas is definitely a big deal over here. The Christmas market just opened a few days ago and they have an ice-skating rink set up outside one of the plazas. Everything is lit up and beautiful. I’m such a sucker for Christmas lights—well anything holiday-ish. The ornament stands here are ridiculous. And I have yet to try the hot wine but Jim said it’s delicious. Its called Gluevine? Or something, with clove and cinnamon, yum! There are all these little stand/restaurants that have open patios and high tables so people just get something to drink and stand outside, listening to music and admiring all the holiday flare. I guess if I can’t be home during this time of year, Salzburg is a close second. People from all over the world come to Salzburg just for its outside Christmas market and we’re here studying, treating it as our personal back yard.

So this is me wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We’re having an afternoon feast tomorrow at 2:30pm that Eva has been slaving away in the kitchen making since Monday. Home will be missed but I’m definitely taken care of here J

Sending my loveeee♥

I feel spoiled titling this "Ten Days in Italy..."

2009-11-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

Ciao!

What a whirlwind Italy was! I have so much to say and do not even know how to begin. Well first off, of all the places I have traveled thus far I was expecting Italy to be the place where I would be the most inspired to write. FALSE. Maybe it was the fact that we were constantly on the move (but that’s like every city we visit…) or that when we weren’t on the bus or seeing the David or standing in the city square waiting for the Pope to pop out his window, we were enjoying ourselves—

Exploring every alley,

Sampling gelato shops,

Throwing coins in the Trevie fountain for good fortune,

Dancing in three-story clubs in Florence,

Eating pizza with flirty Italian waiters,

Watching couples in love float down canals in Venice on gondolas,

Listening to boring lectures of the Coliseum, (a thorough 45 minute history, honestly—ASK ME ANYTHING)

Drinking liters of complimentary :) wine at cheap dinners,

Sitting outside castles in Assisi watching the sunset,

Fashioning cozy spots out on our balcony’s and star gazing all night,

SPANISH STEPS PUB CRAWL,

Taking too many pictures,

Buying cheap jewelry from open markets in Florence,

& knowing that it’s Italy. You only have one job: live it up.

I did write something after our first day in Florence, sometime between showering and looking up pub-crawls…

“I read about these places, sit in European history class and look at pictures of the Vatican and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I listen to teachers tell me about Roman myths and tie those into literature that dates back to the 12^th Century. And now I’m here. I’m standing looking at the mosaics in churches that are so old, putting a date on it is almost silly. It’s just weird to think that these places are real—tangible cities with people who call them home. The closest I can come to describing this feeling is incredible and strange? That I will pass a row of apartments and then take three more steps and see the Duermo or the canals of Venice. I am finally peeking my head outside of my box that is the west coast and cannot quite come to terms with it. I consistently get the feeling that I can best describe as holding my breath.

I have to remind myself to relax enough to take it all in. Inhale all the good stuff. Never dwell on the insignificant. And understand that the boredom that comes with church tour after church tour is the understood appreciation for things beyond my small little world.

The world stretches further than Canada and Mexico, who knew?”

VENICE: 1 night

Beautiful canals with gondolas that I could stare at forever, colorfully stacked hotels lined up side by side, (I couldn’t stop thinking of them as European legos…) Every street I turn on looks like a postcard, we wanted to take a gondola ride but they were 80E and we were thinking more along the lines of 8E (haha), getting lost trying to find this bar/club on the river, **yes, every ivy-lined alley is breath taking, at the same time, every ivy-lined alley looks the same** One night was not enough!!

ROME: 4 nights

Crazy, crazy, BIG city, climbing up the Vatican à claustrophobia CENTRAL, but so worth it. Gelato, gelato, gelatoooooooo. Spanish steps pub-crawl, 20E cab ride anyone? **getting lost, really lost** Seeing the Pope, he’s so little! St.Paul’s Outside the Walls, second largest Christian church in the world, mosaics that literally made my jaw drop.

Caravaggio museum—marble sculptures that I just could not believe started out as a block of stone. Coffee date with Al J so fun. “You’re only in Italy once so… souvenir shop!”

ASSISI: 2 nights

Quaint, quiet, the definition of a cute Italian village on a hill. Sunset hike—one of the most rewarding things I’ve done here! All meals, home-cooked, AMAZING. Castle walk J Wrap around balcony, star gazing, Deter and his Spanish guitar playing, “pink” cobble stone everything. Peaceful. Happy.

FLORENCE: 2 nights

Big city, but not too overwhelming. Dirty, all cement walls tagged with spray paint. Best shopping ever, bought a pea coat J and presents galore! Favorite museum, the Caravaggio & Bacon. Cute Italian dinner for under 12E. Shots of Lemoncello. Tequila Sunset, anyone? Space Bar. Enough said. Sketchy hotel, but beautiful view of the horizon—definitely the trip of memorable sunsets!

PISA: 1 night

The only historical monument: The Leaning Tower, (surprise! ha) The bridges are incredible, reminded me a little of Florence shopping wise. One main shopping street covered in cobblestone—slightly reminiscent of the Getridagase in Salzy J Low-key, window shopping, last night in Italy, so sad… but definitely time to head back to our litte castle on a mountain.

"One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." –- Henry Miller

A weekend in Salzburg & ITALY bound!!!

2009-11-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

11-8
"‘Truths about the universal language.’ I’m sitting in St. Peter’s Church with Nana as we listen to the priest give his sermon in German and this is the thought that popped into my mind.
The priest is dressed in a green robe, representing the timeline of the year of Christ. He is focused and warm, intent on communicating his weekly message to the people of his church. The people who sit here and listen to his words.
I cannot understand him a word he is saying, but I understand him.
He does not know who I am or if I am listening, but I know he cares.
The universal language; beauty in the understood.

Last night we went to a jazz concert, Cassandra Wilson. Abbie had told us about it and Nana and I thought it would be something fun to do. I had never been to a jazz concert so I didn’t know what to expect. Well it will not be my last! I am SO glad we decided to go! The music was incredible, she sang vocals and was accompanied by five men, all on different instruments. They were all African American—I only say that because I want to illustrate the “soul” type feeling it had. There was a guitarist, pianist, drums, percussionist, and a man playing the double base. They were clearly very practiced in their crafts and it was amazing to watch! I had never heard of Cassandra before but I am definitely going to do some research after last night. She sang some blues, a song Paul Simon wrote for them to perform, and a lot of just feel good music. I’m glad Nana got to experience something extra special in Salzburg!"

11-11
"Last night we took Nana to the St. Augustine beer hall! It is a VERY German “local watering hole” type place that I thought would be a perfect way to get more of a taste of the culture. I think I’ve written about the Aug before, we went in September but actually hadn’t been back since last night! So we all got beers and had good conversation J My special guest, (Nana!) got in Friday and we went out to dinner at a place we go to often called “Humbolt Stubn” and we walked around the town a little. On Saturday LJ and I met her at her hotel and we figured out concert tickets for that night (Cassandra Wilson) and decided to do a “Lakes and Mountains” tour of upper Austria. It’s a four-hour tour that took us to 7 lakes and 2 very small cute towns and someone was looking out for us because it was GORGEOUS! Sunny and a nice break from the gloomy-ish days we were dealing with at the end of last night. It was so much fun, we took so many pictures and had the perfect day J
Sunday Nana and I went to another concert held in St. Peter’s Church and then she went with Abbie and her friend Philip to another jazz concert that night (I wasn’t up for it, had a paper to finish and had horrible cramps)
I’ve been having so much fun playing host and it been really nice for me to see things that I walk by everyday or forget about here—now that I have someone to actually show these things to it makes me pay attention!
Tomorrow we leave for our ten day trip to ITALY!!!! It’s crazy, I know. I can’t say it enough: how time flies! But that is not to say it’s going so fast I can’t keep up. I’m taking it all in, fully aware I’m not going to want to travel ANYWHERE when January 5th rolls around, and taking that into account I’m just trying to do it all."

If Italy is anything like Greece I’m concerned about a few things:
sleep deprivation
the condition of my liver
exhaustion from walking EVERYWHERE
bus motion sickness
being in huge crowded public areas with the plague that’s circulating… ahhhh
***good thing I’m vaccinated!!!!